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Cloak of War
The day Karl Jager graduated from university with a degree in Spaceship Command he expected a cushy job flying a freighter. He expected the biggest decision to be which whisky to drink. He expected the biggest threat to be the redhead in the orbital bar.
Instead he was drafted and sent to the frontlines as a junior officer.
With the 6th Fleet on the ropes, he finds himself battle promoted onto a little missile frigate that’s more missile than frigate. But as his career begins he learns that command isn’t what they teach you in college but what you learn in the hard vacuum of space.
As Karl loses his first major fleet engagement he’s adrift on a dying hulk with his only hope for the future to be a half mad Captain who might be his greatest mentor or his worst enemy.
Maybe both.
Instead he was drafted and sent to the frontlines as a junior officer.
With the 6th Fleet on the ropes, he finds himself battle promoted onto a little missile frigate that’s more missile than frigate. But as his career begins he learns that command isn’t what they teach you in college but what you learn in the hard vacuum of space.
As Karl loses his first major fleet engagement he’s adrift on a dying hulk with his only hope for the future to be a half mad Captain who might be his greatest mentor or his worst enemy.
Maybe both.
- GenresScience Fiction
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 18, 2017
About the author
Casey Calouette
12 books35 followersFocusing the lens onto the Amazing, interesting, and wonderful.
I write science fiction that I'd love to read. Fleet fights, giant battles, and non-stop action.
I write science fiction that I'd love to read. Fleet fights, giant battles, and non-stop action.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 2, 2017
A Touch of American Classics Within a Military Space Opera
This is a pleasingly long military space opera tale, and I was pleasantly surprised to find overtones of Heart of Darkness and Moby Dick at points along the story. I do not like first person narratives, with the new exception of this story. Our main protagonist is a frat rat, cruising through a space college on the way to the family business...until a vicious war develops, and his entire class is drafted en masse to serve in the expanded space force. Little by little, over time, he is forced to grow up and develop skills and acquire knowledge that he ignored in college.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
This is a pleasingly long military space opera tale, and I was pleasantly surprised to find overtones of Heart of Darkness and Moby Dick at points along the story. I do not like first person narratives, with the new exception of this story. Our main protagonist is a frat rat, cruising through a space college on the way to the family business...until a vicious war develops, and his entire class is drafted en masse to serve in the expanded space force. Little by little, over time, he is forced to grow up and develop skills and acquire knowledge that he ignored in college.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
November 15, 2024
Entertaining space opera listening 🎶🔰
This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book one of three
First book by this author very interesting space travel adventure looking forward to book two.
He partied though college and now is in the navy commanding a missile launcher starship. In his first battle the ship is destroyed. He and an woman 🚺 engineer survive. They are rescued and become part of the crew. They survive the next battle defeating their old nemesis.
I would highly recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of fantasy world 🌎 space opera adventure novels 👍🔰. 2024 😢😕😆
This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book one of three
First book by this author very interesting space travel adventure looking forward to book two.
He partied though college and now is in the navy commanding a missile launcher starship. In his first battle the ship is destroyed. He and an woman 🚺 engineer survive. They are rescued and become part of the crew. They survive the next battle defeating their old nemesis.
I would highly recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of fantasy world 🌎 space opera adventure novels 👍🔰. 2024 😢😕😆
September 4, 2026
Good military science-fiction.
January 11, 2018
This has become my favorite Casey Calouette book. Like others have said, it crosses genres in its likeness to other forms (Moby Dick comes to mind). But it is so well executed and compelling in its story and (especially) characters, that even though you feel like you know where it is going, you can't stop reading.
By the way, beware if you are someone who gets annoyed by editing oversights. My Kindle copy had plenty. In my case, having to mentally correct a sentence reduces my engagement in the flow of the narrative for a moment. The distraction is unwelcome. I still gave the book five stars in the rating simply because I enjoyed the story so much overall.
By the way, beware if you are someone who gets annoyed by editing oversights. My Kindle copy had plenty. In my case, having to mentally correct a sentence reduces my engagement in the flow of the narrative for a moment. The distraction is unwelcome. I still gave the book five stars in the rating simply because I enjoyed the story so much overall.
November 25, 2017
While technically a science fiction tale complete with space battles and aliens, this book is more of a coming-of-age story for a young man drafted into the space navy fresh out of college. There are some slow parts, but overall this was really good. If you are a science fiction fan, I imagine you will like this one, as well as for those who like literary fiction. I picked this up for free with my Kindle Unlimited subscription instead of its normal price of $3.99, and certainly received more than $3.99 worth of entertainment value.
April 29, 2018
A good story line with excitement and intrigue
As someone with very little boxing history, I found some of the fighting terminology a bit difficult, but, I do understand that it is used extremely well, especially to relate to space battles which you would see as being slow and not like boxing at all. The story line is good and the character development is intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope many other do too.
As someone with very little boxing history, I found some of the fighting terminology a bit difficult, but, I do understand that it is used extremely well, especially to relate to space battles which you would see as being slow and not like boxing at all. The story line is good and the character development is intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope many other do too.
August 15, 2020
Brilliant - his best yet
Submarine warfare in space, a crazy, brilliant captain and our hero - a frat boy who should be nowhere near command. Either this will be the death of him, or his finest hour.
Casey Calouette has written some cracking books before but this mixture of tense, claustrophobic drama and coming of age is by far his best yet. I’ve read it six times already and keep on going back. If you loved The Martian or Enders Game, this is up there. Fantastic.
Submarine warfare in space, a crazy, brilliant captain and our hero - a frat boy who should be nowhere near command. Either this will be the death of him, or his finest hour.
Casey Calouette has written some cracking books before but this mixture of tense, claustrophobic drama and coming of age is by far his best yet. I’ve read it six times already and keep on going back. If you loved The Martian or Enders Game, this is up there. Fantastic.
January 7, 2018
Subs in space.
I've read a lot of science fiction but this is a first.
Space submarines. .. think about it for a minute.
Great story, a crew full of misfits and a skipper almost driven insane
By war, dispare and revenge.
A good story, well developed cast and a few twist and turns.
Fully recommend.
I've read a lot of science fiction but this is a first.
Space submarines. .. think about it for a minute.
Great story, a crew full of misfits and a skipper almost driven insane
By war, dispare and revenge.
A good story, well developed cast and a few twist and turns.
Fully recommend.
October 26, 2017
Very good sci fi.
A solid read, after a slightly confusing start, with an excellent backstory and a cracking ending. Good enough read that I lost track of where I was on tram more than once while reading.
A solid read, after a slightly confusing start, with an excellent backstory and a cracking ending. Good enough read that I lost track of where I was on tram more than once while reading.
November 6, 2017
Like a crappy knock off of Mobey Dick
First off, the space battle screens are absolutely terrible, you get zero feel for the scope of what is happening.
Then there is the crazy captains revenge quest, to kill the white queen. Overall the books just feels super weak.
First off, the space battle screens are absolutely terrible, you get zero feel for the scope of what is happening.
Then there is the crazy captains revenge quest, to kill the white queen. Overall the books just feels super weak.
December 13, 2017
Starts a bit muddled but brings it after that
I almost stopped reading it after the first chapter or so. The author does almost two good a job on making you understand where the protagonist is coming from. Very glad I stayed with it.
I almost stopped reading it after the first chapter or so. The author does almost two good a job on making you understand where the protagonist is coming from. Very glad I stayed with it.
October 27, 2017
Ahab in space
Fantastic read. Couldn’t put it down. Great characters and story. I hope to read more about Karl Jager some day.
Fantastic read. Couldn’t put it down. Great characters and story. I hope to read more about Karl Jager some day.
October 30, 2017
It's not Casey's usual romp through the universe so it doesn't drag you rapidly along on a romp through wilds. It is however, a nice examination of obsession and how it flowers under pressure.
October 30, 2017
Super
Das boat meets Moby dick. Super good book. I loved it. Main character was an interesting hero that grows up.
Das boat meets Moby dick. Super good book. I loved it. Main character was an interesting hero that grows up.
November 12, 2017
Absloute a1 brilliant
If you like a good yarn with plenty of action and strong characters here it is pity there only this one .
If you like a good yarn with plenty of action and strong characters here it is pity there only this one .
November 15, 2017
Liked it a lot. Will read the next books
November 18, 2017
Loved it!
It's about time someone adapted Moby Suck into a space story. This was great. Best wishes to the author, always.
It's about time someone adapted Moby Suck into a space story. This was great. Best wishes to the author, always.
November 20, 2017
Good read
You won't want to put it down. Good characters, plenty of action and easy to read. All in All a good book.
You won't want to put it down. Good characters, plenty of action and easy to read. All in All a good book.
December 7, 2017
A very good story
With some real meat on the bones. This is more than just a story, but a look at right and wrong, and the desire for vengeance. Well written.
With some real meat on the bones. This is more than just a story, but a look at right and wrong, and the desire for vengeance. Well written.
December 19, 2017
Very good read. Fast paced. Great characterizations. Interesting tech world.
December 20, 2017
Good inconclusive but good
Good book finale could recommend it as a read p
have had more to it but good all the same
Good book finale could recommend it as a read p
have had more to it but good all the same
February 17, 2018
Moving and shooting
Great first command and leader development for a space novel. I enjoyed the work of the author and the details of thoughts of the characters
Great first command and leader development for a space novel. I enjoyed the work of the author and the details of thoughts of the characters
March 20, 2018
Good read.
A good and enjoyable read. Not my normal style of book but had me hooked from the start. Thank you.
A good and enjoyable read. Not my normal style of book but had me hooked from the start. Thank you.
April 19, 2018
A treat
This is a worthy retelling of Moby Dick, a future hunt on the white whale as a space ship complete with fuming captain Ahab. Highly recommended!
This is a worthy retelling of Moby Dick, a future hunt on the white whale as a space ship complete with fuming captain Ahab. Highly recommended!
June 16, 2018
Good read for filling gaps.
December 21, 2025
Incoherent mess.
Currently Reading
December 12, 2017Good read
If you like science fiction space opera books you'll this one. It makes you keep wondering what's going to happen next.
If you like science fiction space opera books you'll this one. It makes you keep wondering what's going to happen next.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews