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Ixan Legacy #1
Capital Starship
The Galaxy's Doomed Without Him
The Ixa smashed the galaxy to bits before they were defeated. Captain Husher has sounded the alarm in the decades since: the Ixa’s creators will return to finish the job.
But unlike Husher, the galactic government didn't battle the Ixa, and the politicians have convinced themselves that maintaining peace means limiting the ability to wage war.
Now, the enemy has returned, with high-tech weapons that prove they haven’t limited their own combat capabilities in the slightest. If Captain Husher and his beleaguered supercarrier crew can't manage to stop the invaders, they will happily devour the galaxy whole.
Capital Starship is a new military science fiction series set in the Ixan Prophecies universe.
The Ixa smashed the galaxy to bits before they were defeated. Captain Husher has sounded the alarm in the decades since: the Ixa’s creators will return to finish the job.
But unlike Husher, the galactic government didn't battle the Ixa, and the politicians have convinced themselves that maintaining peace means limiting the ability to wage war.
Now, the enemy has returned, with high-tech weapons that prove they haven’t limited their own combat capabilities in the slightest. If Captain Husher and his beleaguered supercarrier crew can't manage to stop the invaders, they will happily devour the galaxy whole.
Capital Starship is a new military science fiction series set in the Ixan Prophecies universe.
386 pages, Paperback
First published December 2, 2017
521 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Scott Bartlett
115 books302 followersScott Bartlett writes his books from inside a mech, which is inside the hangar bay of a light armored cruiser stationed just past Jupiter.
Certain parts of the last sentence may not be completely true.
Here are some more believable statements:
Scott was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland – the easternmost province of Canada.
During his decade-long journey to become a full-time author, he supported himself by working an assortment of jobs…
...salmon hatchery technician, grocery clerk, youth care worker, ghostwriter, research assistant, pita maker, and freelance editor.
In 2014, he succeeded in becoming a full-time novelist, and he’s been writing science fiction at light speed ever since.
Get 3 FREE military space opera ebooks:
https://www.scottplots.com
Certain parts of the last sentence may not be completely true.
Here are some more believable statements:
Scott was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland – the easternmost province of Canada.
During his decade-long journey to become a full-time author, he supported himself by working an assortment of jobs…
...salmon hatchery technician, grocery clerk, youth care worker, ghostwriter, research assistant, pita maker, and freelance editor.
In 2014, he succeeded in becoming a full-time novelist, and he’s been writing science fiction at light speed ever since.
Get 3 FREE military space opera ebooks:
https://www.scottplots.com
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November 9, 2022Racist and poorly written
Rating : Minus 5
I enjoy the rewrites though it takes time. It feels good to undo my attempts to fit into an environment, which in retrospect was toxic to any healthy reader. My plan is to improve the spelling and paragraphs (more or less). I have had many comments attacking my punctuation, character, etc. The writing I can make more intelligible, though changing my family background and personality is beyond me.
This is a horrible book from prose to plot. It is difficult to know where to start. Goodreads have as usual blocked the other reviews to me 🤔 but from the rating it seems that other reviews will likely agree.
Goodreads have also masked all the commenter member names that I either did not name in my responses or later note in my reviews. 🤔 They finally convinced me to close my pages to comments and to drop all my lurkers. I succeeded in dropping all lurkers but one. Goodreads will not allow me to remove a Dr. Susan Hamilton (Maths professor at University of Tennessee ?) and she will not respond to my four requests that she remove me from her list. 🤔 She generated not a single post over more than two years, yet is determined to be my "friend" ? That is a sad explanation if true. I am just not that interesting.
I start to believe that when I wrote a brutal review of "a salute to a January 6, 2021 hero on the moon", at least one low level Goodreads tech suddenly decided that my being a communist is a bad thing. I imagine that free speech is notional.
For more Goodreads stuff, see my review of "Leviathan's War", a terrible and similar book to this or Powers of the Earth (a salute to January 6, 2021 hero on the moon) and the comments from a Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
To Claes Rees Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty, be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party.
I wonder why US patriots (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr and US Republican Party, for example) support Putin and Russia, when he has threatened nuclear war against their own country. I think that maybe the gold transfers are effective but that the Russian military practice of rape and murder of young girls fascinates them. In any case.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!!
Back to this really terrible book. This book does not pretend to be anything but a sorry political rant. The theme of the book is that government is bad, unless it is controlled by the military. I am going to guess that he favors a fascist state.
The "human" navy consists only of North Americans born south of Canada and north of Mexico. In addition the only exotic surnames are Welsh, Scottish or Irish. The entire human navy may be assumed to consist of white males. This seems ultranationalist.
This is also standard for low end US science fiction. It is always the same cast composition. The message is always the same. white US males are the tough guys and they always save the galaxy or conquer the galaxy or whatever. The audience for these books buy these to remind themselves how special they are. Subtext for these books is "We will not be replaced", I gather.
This book is a list of what is wrong with civilian authority over the military.
1) The civilian government never understands what is required for war preparedness.
2) The civilian government does not understand external political realities, only the military does.
3) The civilian government intrudes daily in military activities, commissars?
4) The civilian government forces the military to create a civil environment for nonhuman soldiers.
The captain of this ship is confused that human soldiers are accused of human privilege because human soldiers and sailors do not own any privilege. That is a really good argument. If you are a moron. Then the captain explains that the non-existent abuse of a nonhuman must be the result of a human perpetrator's PTSD. WTF.
The white male in Russia, France, Britain, Netherlands and US who violently proclaims that there is no racism in Russia, Britain, et al, often proudly produce American Confederate Flags (which is the Nazi insignia substitute because in Europe the display of Swastikas is illegal). In the US and Russia that male also displays their Swastikas as they loudly proclaim their patriotism. Am I the only person who marvels at the contradiction?
The civilian insistence on ending mistreatment of nonhuman soldiers is a terrible burden on human soldiers. It also oppressed human soldiers, somehow violating their rights. It is also an intolerable burden on said soldiers.
With the military in control, there will be no more interference in the military's internal affairs. He specifically is angry that the policy of equal treatment of its members, degrades military effectiveness. The reasoning is that racism and misogyny are necessary to military discipline.
The systemic racism of present militaries (US, I am looking at you) makes a stronger military. Retention rates among people of color must be very low. When soldiers of color are punished in place of white service people, what kind of of soldier have you retained. The white soldier that has been conditioned to expect that there are no consequences is not going to commit human rights abuses when committed outside the US? Can anyone believe that is the case.
Recently the US media has discovered that soldiers and marines who leave the military, are joining white nationalist militias. They are also appearing in US police forces and appear to encourage and participate in an increased wave of violence against POC. The surprise is that they were given permission to write about the phenomenon.
Misogyny is not just a term. Misogyny is portrayed in film as a female officer not being accorded the same respect as her male colleagues or not being promoted as quickly as her colleagues.
Is there an honest working class ma!e who thinks that is where it ends? In any environment where women are openly put in that box, they are going to be victimized much more directly. We may despise the men who will use their power and perhaps hate the practice but we all know that in those environments it happens not occasionally (one bad apple syndrome) but constantly and brutally.
In 2021, the US Army considered charging a new (18 or 19 year old) private with immoral behavior after she was gang raped by 22 fellow soldiers, which rape was video taped by participating non-commissioned officers and posted online as entertainment. The story was removed as usual about a week after it was broadcast and covered up. It seems that no soldier was charged and imprisoned, unless it was the victim. This was under the "progressive" Democratic administration.
Promotion in return for sexual favors (notorious in many militaries, which is denied by no one) is standard practice and publicly known as a pathway for advancement in the Chinese military. I think that no one is surprised that it might happen more quietly and less often in the US military.
How much grosser would military culture be when the military has to answer to no one. Read about the Chilean military's behavior under Pinochet, the quasi-fascist Colombian military.and any of the US Central American puppet regimes' militaries against civilians.
Another theme of the book is that war preparedness should not be overseen by a civilian authority. Only a military commander understands external political reality. Consequently the military should be responsible for all foreign policy. The military is the only organization capable of deciding the military budget.
Consequently the military needs to control the government's entire budget. The military can not decide their percentage of the governmental budget without military oversight of the taxes raised, the economic policy underpinning the budget, the totality of the governmental budget. Once the military has made those decisions and only then, they will be able to decide how much of government's budget will be allocated to military needs.
That always works. Read the "Vampire Economy" free on Amazon and a very good analysis of Nazi economic management from ascension to power to the start of World War Two. Joe Defiant (a US patriot) attacks every and all reviews that are not critical of the author. He believes that the book is an attack on Hitler's reputation. Go Goodreads!
The two most famous and successful military leaders that I can think of, both failed in the end because they lost sight of geopolitical realities. I direct you to biographies of Napoleon and Alexander the Great. Both were the ultimate political and military leaders of their societies. So why did they fail?
The Super carrier if I remember correctly sails with no escort. WTH. The Fleet's frigates, destroyers and cruisers sail around without the carriers. This is such a brilliant understanding of naval operations and doctrine, I am amazed. I recommend the reader visit either the YouTube channels "Spacedock" or "The Templin Institute". Both list a video which explains the function of various ship types , their deployment doctrine and extrapolate vacuum naval use of the types and naval weapons.
The writer has not visited either site because having played Warhammer he has great naval expertise. I do not mock ignorance but the arrogance that translates ignorance into stupidity is contemptible. No naval experience, no research into what is not known, the tough guy tone and the racism not even thinly veiled is disgusting. This is a splendid example of almost every low end US military science fiction book. They are not novels, just white nationalist fantasies possessing no logic or substance.
This book is not worth discussion of character, plot, dialogue or editing. The prose without all the defects above is written as if by a year eight student. I waded through all the above in less than twenty percent of the book. I refused to finish the book and gentle reader unless I have offended you with my observations, I doubt that you will either.
Since this book is representative of the low end bulk, I have lost most of my interest in science fiction. When in the mood for science fiction, I go to the streaming services for stories that are both better written and more interesting. Netflix also has a good multinational selection worth watching.
Amazon/Goodreads being useless, I began searching YouTube for science fiction news, etc. I found the science fiction and a stunning number of interest area channels. The real prize was the book tube. These are book channels to warm the heart of any lover of all things bookish. The channels cover all aspects of the bookish experience. The reader communities are curious, have various tastes and perspectives, are not parochial and love books. They are the complete opposite to whatever Goodreads are. I recommend a visit to several for any reader.
Together with the essayists and documentaries, YouTube introduced me to the dedicated educational video sites. I started with Curiosity Stream/Nebula at a cost of about $15 USD for a yearly subscription. I think that any of the sites are worth a look.
My YouTube picks of the moment.
The Researcher, Mrs Betty Bowers, New Economic Thinking, Mandy, Spacedock, Philosophy Tube, Novara Media, The Juice Media, Malinda, Practical Engineering, Boat Time, Tom Nicholas, TVP News.
Some of my favorite YouTube channels are.
TVP News, Munecat, Julie Nolke, Mandy, Gary's economics, Some More News, May Moon Narrowboat, Tara, Nerd Cookies, Tom Nicholas, Democracy at Work, Mrs Betty Bowers, Chugging Along, Jean's Thoughts, Tulia, Hailey in Bookland, Novara Media, The Juice Media, Elina Charatsidou, The Armchair Historian, The Historian's Craft, Prime of Midlife, Tibees, Parallax Nick, Philosophy Tube, Owen Jones, Snappy Dragon, Karolina Zebrowska, Kings and Generals, Ancient Americas, Then & Now, Belinda Carr, Dave Channel, Undecided with Matt Terrell, Jill Bearup, 2Cellos, Jake Broe, Denys Davydov, Sheila Nightingale, Kathy's Flog in France, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Between the Wars, Real Time History, Lady knight the Brave, Hello Future Me, Renegade Cut, Paleo Analysis, Rowan J Coleman, The Templin Institute, The Gravel Institute, The Leftist Cooks, Books with Chloe, Chloe Stafler, We're in Hell, The Juice Media, Sort of Interesting, Second Thought, Joe Scott, Engineering with Rosie, Military Aviation History, The Researcher, Crow Caller, Overly Sarcastic Productions, MWG Studios, What Vivi did next, The Mindful Narrowboat, Artur Rehi, Art by Annamarie, Cruising Alba, Meidas, Lumber Capital Log Yard, Narrowboat Pirate, Camper Vibe, Epimetheus, Interesting Engineering, The Shades of Orange, Natasha's Adventures, NFKRZ, The People Profiles, With Olivia, I'm Rosa, Cold Fusion, Invicta, Caspian Report, Therapy in a Nutshell, Cruising the Cut, History Marche, Dark Skies, A Life of Lit, Enby Reads, Jessie Gender, Alt Shift X, All Shorts, Swell Entertainment, Maggie May Fish, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Spacedock, The Enforcer.
I wish you a splendid morning, a wonderful afternoon, a pleasant evening, a splendid night and may we all keep learning..
Can a person devoid of Empathy, be considered truly Human?
Oliver Cromwell
Rating : Minus 5
I enjoy the rewrites though it takes time. It feels good to undo my attempts to fit into an environment, which in retrospect was toxic to any healthy reader. My plan is to improve the spelling and paragraphs (more or less). I have had many comments attacking my punctuation, character, etc. The writing I can make more intelligible, though changing my family background and personality is beyond me.
This is a horrible book from prose to plot. It is difficult to know where to start. Goodreads have as usual blocked the other reviews to me 🤔 but from the rating it seems that other reviews will likely agree.
Goodreads have also masked all the commenter member names that I either did not name in my responses or later note in my reviews. 🤔 They finally convinced me to close my pages to comments and to drop all my lurkers. I succeeded in dropping all lurkers but one. Goodreads will not allow me to remove a Dr. Susan Hamilton (Maths professor at University of Tennessee ?) and she will not respond to my four requests that she remove me from her list. 🤔 She generated not a single post over more than two years, yet is determined to be my "friend" ? That is a sad explanation if true. I am just not that interesting.
I start to believe that when I wrote a brutal review of "a salute to a January 6, 2021 hero on the moon", at least one low level Goodreads tech suddenly decided that my being a communist is a bad thing. I imagine that free speech is notional.
For more Goodreads stuff, see my review of "Leviathan's War", a terrible and similar book to this or Powers of the Earth (a salute to January 6, 2021 hero on the moon) and the comments from a Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
To Claes Rees Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty, be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party.
I wonder why US patriots (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr and US Republican Party, for example) support Putin and Russia, when he has threatened nuclear war against their own country. I think that maybe the gold transfers are effective but that the Russian military practice of rape and murder of young girls fascinates them. In any case.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!!
Back to this really terrible book. This book does not pretend to be anything but a sorry political rant. The theme of the book is that government is bad, unless it is controlled by the military. I am going to guess that he favors a fascist state.
The "human" navy consists only of North Americans born south of Canada and north of Mexico. In addition the only exotic surnames are Welsh, Scottish or Irish. The entire human navy may be assumed to consist of white males. This seems ultranationalist.
This is also standard for low end US science fiction. It is always the same cast composition. The message is always the same. white US males are the tough guys and they always save the galaxy or conquer the galaxy or whatever. The audience for these books buy these to remind themselves how special they are. Subtext for these books is "We will not be replaced", I gather.
This book is a list of what is wrong with civilian authority over the military.
1) The civilian government never understands what is required for war preparedness.
2) The civilian government does not understand external political realities, only the military does.
3) The civilian government intrudes daily in military activities, commissars?
4) The civilian government forces the military to create a civil environment for nonhuman soldiers.
The captain of this ship is confused that human soldiers are accused of human privilege because human soldiers and sailors do not own any privilege. That is a really good argument. If you are a moron. Then the captain explains that the non-existent abuse of a nonhuman must be the result of a human perpetrator's PTSD. WTF.
The white male in Russia, France, Britain, Netherlands and US who violently proclaims that there is no racism in Russia, Britain, et al, often proudly produce American Confederate Flags (which is the Nazi insignia substitute because in Europe the display of Swastikas is illegal). In the US and Russia that male also displays their Swastikas as they loudly proclaim their patriotism. Am I the only person who marvels at the contradiction?
The civilian insistence on ending mistreatment of nonhuman soldiers is a terrible burden on human soldiers. It also oppressed human soldiers, somehow violating their rights. It is also an intolerable burden on said soldiers.
With the military in control, there will be no more interference in the military's internal affairs. He specifically is angry that the policy of equal treatment of its members, degrades military effectiveness. The reasoning is that racism and misogyny are necessary to military discipline.
The systemic racism of present militaries (US, I am looking at you) makes a stronger military. Retention rates among people of color must be very low. When soldiers of color are punished in place of white service people, what kind of of soldier have you retained. The white soldier that has been conditioned to expect that there are no consequences is not going to commit human rights abuses when committed outside the US? Can anyone believe that is the case.
Recently the US media has discovered that soldiers and marines who leave the military, are joining white nationalist militias. They are also appearing in US police forces and appear to encourage and participate in an increased wave of violence against POC. The surprise is that they were given permission to write about the phenomenon.
Misogyny is not just a term. Misogyny is portrayed in film as a female officer not being accorded the same respect as her male colleagues or not being promoted as quickly as her colleagues.
Is there an honest working class ma!e who thinks that is where it ends? In any environment where women are openly put in that box, they are going to be victimized much more directly. We may despise the men who will use their power and perhaps hate the practice but we all know that in those environments it happens not occasionally (one bad apple syndrome) but constantly and brutally.
In 2021, the US Army considered charging a new (18 or 19 year old) private with immoral behavior after she was gang raped by 22 fellow soldiers, which rape was video taped by participating non-commissioned officers and posted online as entertainment. The story was removed as usual about a week after it was broadcast and covered up. It seems that no soldier was charged and imprisoned, unless it was the victim. This was under the "progressive" Democratic administration.
Promotion in return for sexual favors (notorious in many militaries, which is denied by no one) is standard practice and publicly known as a pathway for advancement in the Chinese military. I think that no one is surprised that it might happen more quietly and less often in the US military.
How much grosser would military culture be when the military has to answer to no one. Read about the Chilean military's behavior under Pinochet, the quasi-fascist Colombian military.and any of the US Central American puppet regimes' militaries against civilians.
Another theme of the book is that war preparedness should not be overseen by a civilian authority. Only a military commander understands external political reality. Consequently the military should be responsible for all foreign policy. The military is the only organization capable of deciding the military budget.
Consequently the military needs to control the government's entire budget. The military can not decide their percentage of the governmental budget without military oversight of the taxes raised, the economic policy underpinning the budget, the totality of the governmental budget. Once the military has made those decisions and only then, they will be able to decide how much of government's budget will be allocated to military needs.
That always works. Read the "Vampire Economy" free on Amazon and a very good analysis of Nazi economic management from ascension to power to the start of World War Two. Joe Defiant (a US patriot) attacks every and all reviews that are not critical of the author. He believes that the book is an attack on Hitler's reputation. Go Goodreads!
The two most famous and successful military leaders that I can think of, both failed in the end because they lost sight of geopolitical realities. I direct you to biographies of Napoleon and Alexander the Great. Both were the ultimate political and military leaders of their societies. So why did they fail?
The Super carrier if I remember correctly sails with no escort. WTH. The Fleet's frigates, destroyers and cruisers sail around without the carriers. This is such a brilliant understanding of naval operations and doctrine, I am amazed. I recommend the reader visit either the YouTube channels "Spacedock" or "The Templin Institute". Both list a video which explains the function of various ship types , their deployment doctrine and extrapolate vacuum naval use of the types and naval weapons.
The writer has not visited either site because having played Warhammer he has great naval expertise. I do not mock ignorance but the arrogance that translates ignorance into stupidity is contemptible. No naval experience, no research into what is not known, the tough guy tone and the racism not even thinly veiled is disgusting. This is a splendid example of almost every low end US military science fiction book. They are not novels, just white nationalist fantasies possessing no logic or substance.
This book is not worth discussion of character, plot, dialogue or editing. The prose without all the defects above is written as if by a year eight student. I waded through all the above in less than twenty percent of the book. I refused to finish the book and gentle reader unless I have offended you with my observations, I doubt that you will either.
Since this book is representative of the low end bulk, I have lost most of my interest in science fiction. When in the mood for science fiction, I go to the streaming services for stories that are both better written and more interesting. Netflix also has a good multinational selection worth watching.
Amazon/Goodreads being useless, I began searching YouTube for science fiction news, etc. I found the science fiction and a stunning number of interest area channels. The real prize was the book tube. These are book channels to warm the heart of any lover of all things bookish. The channels cover all aspects of the bookish experience. The reader communities are curious, have various tastes and perspectives, are not parochial and love books. They are the complete opposite to whatever Goodreads are. I recommend a visit to several for any reader.
Together with the essayists and documentaries, YouTube introduced me to the dedicated educational video sites. I started with Curiosity Stream/Nebula at a cost of about $15 USD for a yearly subscription. I think that any of the sites are worth a look.
My YouTube picks of the moment.
The Researcher, Mrs Betty Bowers, New Economic Thinking, Mandy, Spacedock, Philosophy Tube, Novara Media, The Juice Media, Malinda, Practical Engineering, Boat Time, Tom Nicholas, TVP News.
Some of my favorite YouTube channels are.
TVP News, Munecat, Julie Nolke, Mandy, Gary's economics, Some More News, May Moon Narrowboat, Tara, Nerd Cookies, Tom Nicholas, Democracy at Work, Mrs Betty Bowers, Chugging Along, Jean's Thoughts, Tulia, Hailey in Bookland, Novara Media, The Juice Media, Elina Charatsidou, The Armchair Historian, The Historian's Craft, Prime of Midlife, Tibees, Parallax Nick, Philosophy Tube, Owen Jones, Snappy Dragon, Karolina Zebrowska, Kings and Generals, Ancient Americas, Then & Now, Belinda Carr, Dave Channel, Undecided with Matt Terrell, Jill Bearup, 2Cellos, Jake Broe, Denys Davydov, Sheila Nightingale, Kathy's Flog in France, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Between the Wars, Real Time History, Lady knight the Brave, Hello Future Me, Renegade Cut, Paleo Analysis, Rowan J Coleman, The Templin Institute, The Gravel Institute, The Leftist Cooks, Books with Chloe, Chloe Stafler, We're in Hell, The Juice Media, Sort of Interesting, Second Thought, Joe Scott, Engineering with Rosie, Military Aviation History, The Researcher, Crow Caller, Overly Sarcastic Productions, MWG Studios, What Vivi did next, The Mindful Narrowboat, Artur Rehi, Art by Annamarie, Cruising Alba, Meidas, Lumber Capital Log Yard, Narrowboat Pirate, Camper Vibe, Epimetheus, Interesting Engineering, The Shades of Orange, Natasha's Adventures, NFKRZ, The People Profiles, With Olivia, I'm Rosa, Cold Fusion, Invicta, Caspian Report, Therapy in a Nutshell, Cruising the Cut, History Marche, Dark Skies, A Life of Lit, Enby Reads, Jessie Gender, Alt Shift X, All Shorts, Swell Entertainment, Maggie May Fish, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Spacedock, The Enforcer.
I wish you a splendid morning, a wonderful afternoon, a pleasant evening, a splendid night and may we all keep learning..
Can a person devoid of Empathy, be considered truly Human?
Oliver Cromwell
March 10, 2018
At a certain point in this book, there's a completely ridiculous plot twist which was so farcical, so out of left field, that I turned off my kindle, went straight to goodreads and was in the middle of writing a Did-Not-Finish-This-Book-Is-Rubbish review, when I got bored, and gave up.
About a week later, having read a better book in between, I picked up Capital Starship again continued reading. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Bartlett effectively abandoned the entire plotline and, after a minor wrap-up scene, pretended it never happened. So if you read this book and when you get to that point (you'll know) don't worry. I think he realised he'd written himself into a corner, and decided to leave it for the sequel. Thank god.
What about the rest of the book, I hear you cry? Meh. The hero of the piece is ship's Captain Husher. He is beset by enemies on all sides - Lots of cartoonishly liberal (from the American far-right political perspective) politicians being all obstinately stupid and straw-mannish. And on the other side a mysteriously not-dead villain from a previous book (not read) who spends a lot of his time stroking metaphorical cats and saying things like "Nuh uh! You're a baddy too!". He's some sort of AI created evil genius with a super spiffy dimension hopping space battleship, but when he gets into the big final battle, conveniently forgets to hop dimensions. Phew!
About a week later, having read a better book in between, I picked up Capital Starship again continued reading. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Bartlett effectively abandoned the entire plotline and, after a minor wrap-up scene, pretended it never happened. So if you read this book and when you get to that point (you'll know) don't worry. I think he realised he'd written himself into a corner, and decided to leave it for the sequel. Thank god.
What about the rest of the book, I hear you cry? Meh. The hero of the piece is ship's Captain Husher. He is beset by enemies on all sides - Lots of cartoonishly liberal (from the American far-right political perspective) politicians being all obstinately stupid and straw-mannish. And on the other side a mysteriously not-dead villain from a previous book (not read) who spends a lot of his time stroking metaphorical cats and saying things like "Nuh uh! You're a baddy too!". He's some sort of AI created evil genius with a super spiffy dimension hopping space battleship, but when he gets into the big final battle, conveniently forgets to hop dimensions. Phew!
December 12, 2017
Great reading
We find Captain Husher in command of a supercarrier. But it's never easy a enemy long though dead is back armed with new tech. But Husher also has to deal with a group of civilians on his warship. One member of this group turns out to be a bigger shock for Husher just has he takes his ship into battle for their lives. Recommend that you pick up this book, you will not be disappointed.
We find Captain Husher in command of a supercarrier. But it's never easy a enemy long though dead is back armed with new tech. But Husher also has to deal with a group of civilians on his warship. One member of this group turns out to be a bigger shock for Husher just has he takes his ship into battle for their lives. Recommend that you pick up this book, you will not be disappointed.
January 20, 2018
Absolutely drivel!
Main character is a poor cut out of a Hollywood golden era, white male. While a parade of SJWs straight out of Breitbart whose ridiculous stupidity allow him to be a hero.
Main character is a poor cut out of a Hollywood golden era, white male. While a parade of SJWs straight out of Breitbart whose ridiculous stupidity allow him to be a hero.
June 6, 2018
Scott Bartlett is one of the best if not the best author around today which really saddens me, I got to the point that I always feared, I’ve listened to every audiobook of all the series’s that he wrote but one, it’s like I’m worried about listening to the last one, what will I have to look forward after that?
If I knew exactly the day that I will die I would have waited with the last book so it can be my last one ever.
Scott created three series which are really one perfect masterpiece.
Explaining won’t help, each of you have to experience it for himself to understand what I mean when I say truly perfection !
So I won’t say nothing beside that Mark Boyett was a perfect choice for narrating those books and that with all my heart I fully recommend every one of Scott’s books !!
And one last thing,
Thank you Scott for taking me on this awesome journey !
If I knew exactly the day that I will die I would have waited with the last book so it can be my last one ever.
Scott created three series which are really one perfect masterpiece.
Explaining won’t help, each of you have to experience it for himself to understand what I mean when I say truly perfection !
So I won’t say nothing beside that Mark Boyett was a perfect choice for narrating those books and that with all my heart I fully recommend every one of Scott’s books !!
And one last thing,
Thank you Scott for taking me on this awesome journey !
June 12, 2020
This book needs to be reviewed on two levels.
As military space opera, it rocks. Nice battles, tech done well, a universe enough like ours to be completely plausible; good characters (although you need to have read the earlier series to benefit from the character development). The ally aliens are fully believable (the enemy less so, but they aren’t “real”—genetic constructs by AI—so that’s ok)This would have been a solid four+ stars if Bartlett had just written another entry in his space opera. But he didn’t.
As political tract, it totally fails. For reasons that are beyond me, Bartlett decided to interpose long passages featuring cardboard cutout versions of people fighting the “oppression” of alien species, who turn out to be not at all what they at first appear. These passages were (I am sorry to say) political drivel. They don’t add appreciably to the story, and are totally unbelievable.
I will read the next book in this series, but sincerely hope that Bartlett will abandon his social justice side show.
As military space opera, it rocks. Nice battles, tech done well, a universe enough like ours to be completely plausible; good characters (although you need to have read the earlier series to benefit from the character development). The ally aliens are fully believable (the enemy less so, but they aren’t “real”—genetic constructs by AI—so that’s ok)This would have been a solid four+ stars if Bartlett had just written another entry in his space opera. But he didn’t.
As political tract, it totally fails. For reasons that are beyond me, Bartlett decided to interpose long passages featuring cardboard cutout versions of people fighting the “oppression” of alien species, who turn out to be not at all what they at first appear. These passages were (I am sorry to say) political drivel. They don’t add appreciably to the story, and are totally unbelievable.
I will read the next book in this series, but sincerely hope that Bartlett will abandon his social justice side show.
December 6, 2020
A straw man festival!
The worst part of this book is the writers constant monologs about the adverse effects of the sensitivity training which the human officers are being asked take to better to work with aliens, It obviously a stand in for racial sensitivity in the work place and i can't help but wonder if the writer feels the same about "sexual harassment" workshops.
In short: the main character is a spineless anti "woke culture" captain who is more concerned about keeping his job than he is of actually doing it, at the very end of the book he grows one and wins the day. There are aliens in this book but this is mainly a "soap opera"
The worst part of this book is the writers constant monologs about the adverse effects of the sensitivity training which the human officers are being asked take to better to work with aliens, It obviously a stand in for racial sensitivity in the work place and i can't help but wonder if the writer feels the same about "sexual harassment" workshops.
In short: the main character is a spineless anti "woke culture" captain who is more concerned about keeping his job than he is of actually doing it, at the very end of the book he grows one and wins the day. There are aliens in this book but this is mainly a "soap opera"
November 30, 2025
Interesting story with hilariously overt social/political commentary.
January 7, 2018
Bartlett returns to the Ixan series, taking us back to our Universe and Captain Vin Husher.
It is over 17yrs since the events of the Ixan War that devastated the Galaxy, leaving Humanity shattered, multiple other races decimated and destroyed, and the Galaxy in turmoil.
With great effort an International Union was established to bring some unity back to the Galaxy. There is an uneasy peace in the Galaxy between all of the different races, the only exception being the Gok, which refused to join the IU, but has stayed away from nearly everyone else. Whilst Husher has attempted to warn everyone of what he was warned of, the AIs, and the galaxies impending doom, no one really believes him, and has moved towards a more peaceful attempt at existence. Humanity as such, has created a new class of starship, the Capital class of Starship, that is part warship, but is also a living city, with an entire population of thousands of people living in the heart of the ship. The warship part is only there to protect them.
Husher is the Captain of one of these ships, but he is also ‘governed’ by a Mayor and a Council that can have a say on how the ship is run, to avoid issues with other races, and to make sure that the Civilians aboard the ship are kept happy. Thus this is now a very political role, and one that Husher is not well suited for.
The story is incredibly complex, and brilliantly done, taking us through this new galaxy, exploring these new political structures, and how it has impacted on the characters that we used to know, Husher, Fesky and so many others. There are several new characters as well aboard the Capital ship, all of them utterly fascinating in their roles. Some are there to be useful to Husher, but it seems that many are there to make trouble for him as a new threat is unveiled. It quickly becomes clear that the Ixan were not destroyed as once thought, and have returned to the galaxy, and this is where the story gets very interesting.
Bartlett has taken his previous universe and tweaked it, giving it a different look, one in which humanity are now viewed in a very different way.
This is an intriguing read, with in-depth characters and plots, multiple sub-plots, and detailed political concepts that make for a mesmerising read that you won't be able to put down. There is also some incredible space combat between not just the new Capital class, but some other new ships that makes you wish this could be converted to a visual form for the special effects. Bartlett does a magnificent job of detailing these combat scenes though so you feel like you are in the thick of it.
As well as some very clever twists and turns within the plots, there are also some fantastic surprises towards the end that make this even better.
The original Ixan series was a brilliant piece of writing, and this series looks like it is going to be better again, can’t wait for part 2. If you liked the first series, this is a must.
It is over 17yrs since the events of the Ixan War that devastated the Galaxy, leaving Humanity shattered, multiple other races decimated and destroyed, and the Galaxy in turmoil.
With great effort an International Union was established to bring some unity back to the Galaxy. There is an uneasy peace in the Galaxy between all of the different races, the only exception being the Gok, which refused to join the IU, but has stayed away from nearly everyone else. Whilst Husher has attempted to warn everyone of what he was warned of, the AIs, and the galaxies impending doom, no one really believes him, and has moved towards a more peaceful attempt at existence. Humanity as such, has created a new class of starship, the Capital class of Starship, that is part warship, but is also a living city, with an entire population of thousands of people living in the heart of the ship. The warship part is only there to protect them.
Husher is the Captain of one of these ships, but he is also ‘governed’ by a Mayor and a Council that can have a say on how the ship is run, to avoid issues with other races, and to make sure that the Civilians aboard the ship are kept happy. Thus this is now a very political role, and one that Husher is not well suited for.
The story is incredibly complex, and brilliantly done, taking us through this new galaxy, exploring these new political structures, and how it has impacted on the characters that we used to know, Husher, Fesky and so many others. There are several new characters as well aboard the Capital ship, all of them utterly fascinating in their roles. Some are there to be useful to Husher, but it seems that many are there to make trouble for him as a new threat is unveiled. It quickly becomes clear that the Ixan were not destroyed as once thought, and have returned to the galaxy, and this is where the story gets very interesting.
Bartlett has taken his previous universe and tweaked it, giving it a different look, one in which humanity are now viewed in a very different way.
This is an intriguing read, with in-depth characters and plots, multiple sub-plots, and detailed political concepts that make for a mesmerising read that you won't be able to put down. There is also some incredible space combat between not just the new Capital class, but some other new ships that makes you wish this could be converted to a visual form for the special effects. Bartlett does a magnificent job of detailing these combat scenes though so you feel like you are in the thick of it.
As well as some very clever twists and turns within the plots, there are also some fantastic surprises towards the end that make this even better.
The original Ixan series was a brilliant piece of writing, and this series looks like it is going to be better again, can’t wait for part 2. If you liked the first series, this is a must.
December 8, 2017
The IXAN Trilogy. The MECH WARS trilogy. Now CAPITAL STARSHIP, the first book in the new IXAN LEGACY. This man can write! For anyone familiar with Bartlett's writing style and his novels, you know this book will deliver. Captain Vin Husher has been telling people for decades that the IXAN will be back, but no one listens. Why have war with these aliens if you can talk to each other and settle your differences? From the first page, Husher finds himself in the battle he predicted, but now so much more is at stake. He's the captain of a Capital Warship, which now also houses civilians. He has to keep his crew and it's civilians safe, but that proves hard to do when the IXAN are back and they won't stop until Captain Husher, his ship the VESTRA, and all other life forms in the Milky Way are obliterated. This book is a promising start to Bartlett's new series. I can't wait for book 2!
December 4, 2020
Capital Starship is the first book in a new trilogy, the Ixan Legacy, that follows the events of the Ixan Prophecies, written by Scott Bartlett. Husher is now captain of a new class of capital super carrier starship, The Vesta, which in this post-war time, carries a population of 50.000 civilians. It is a time of peace, and politics are guiding development in the galaxy, trying to promote friendship everywhere they can. Husher on the other hand, is restless after 20 years of not having been to war, and most certain that recent attempt to establish lasting peace with the aliens species the Gack, which he defeated in the war, is not going to end well. And thus it should came as no surprise that an old enemy rears its head..
As with the previous trilogy, this is a military scifi series, and the writing style is very similar. Good dialogs, interesting characters, and very well written action, of which there is a lot. Since it has been 20 years since the war has ended, politics takes up much of the first half of the book, which I found to be a nice change from the previous trilogy, as it fleshed out the world building even more. The public community aboard The Vesta is pushing for peaceful actions, and this is in stark contras to how Husher want to act, and creates nice tension between the two world views. Husher has to deal with both being a warship captain, a man in charge of 50.000 civilians, and he is also coping with memories of his dead daughter, and likely suffering from PTSD. Husher believes in following principles, but he starts to find disbelief in himself, when he is accused of being a fascist that undermine of non-human species. This gives us a complex main character, which is quite interesting to follow, and I really enjoyed that. It also gives the civilian view a much larger voice in this book, compared to the previous trilogy, which suited it quite nicely.
The book is a little less action oriented, because it takes its time building up, which was good, and in the we of course find outselves in the climax of the story, with excellent space battles yet again. The author has a nice and simple way of writing tense space battles, despite the many variables that are part of it, and that in a 3D setting.
The narration again was excellent, as Mark Boyett again was in charge. Great voices, good pitching during action sequences, and generally a very nice and clear voice to listen to.
If you enjoyed the previous trilogy, you’ll most certainly also enjoy this. If you haven’t read the previous trilogy, I’d recommend that you do that first, since there’s a lot of recurring characters and it often refers to what happened during those books. It will also explain why some things happen as they do.
I received this audiobook for free in return for a review. I have no affiliation with the author, the narrator, the publisher, or their pets (Although I am sure the latter are quite nice!).
As with the previous trilogy, this is a military scifi series, and the writing style is very similar. Good dialogs, interesting characters, and very well written action, of which there is a lot. Since it has been 20 years since the war has ended, politics takes up much of the first half of the book, which I found to be a nice change from the previous trilogy, as it fleshed out the world building even more. The public community aboard The Vesta is pushing for peaceful actions, and this is in stark contras to how Husher want to act, and creates nice tension between the two world views. Husher has to deal with both being a warship captain, a man in charge of 50.000 civilians, and he is also coping with memories of his dead daughter, and likely suffering from PTSD. Husher believes in following principles, but he starts to find disbelief in himself, when he is accused of being a fascist that undermine of non-human species. This gives us a complex main character, which is quite interesting to follow, and I really enjoyed that. It also gives the civilian view a much larger voice in this book, compared to the previous trilogy, which suited it quite nicely.
The book is a little less action oriented, because it takes its time building up, which was good, and in the we of course find outselves in the climax of the story, with excellent space battles yet again. The author has a nice and simple way of writing tense space battles, despite the many variables that are part of it, and that in a 3D setting.
The narration again was excellent, as Mark Boyett again was in charge. Great voices, good pitching during action sequences, and generally a very nice and clear voice to listen to.
If you enjoyed the previous trilogy, you’ll most certainly also enjoy this. If you haven’t read the previous trilogy, I’d recommend that you do that first, since there’s a lot of recurring characters and it often refers to what happened during those books. It will also explain why some things happen as they do.
I received this audiobook for free in return for a review. I have no affiliation with the author, the narrator, the publisher, or their pets (Although I am sure the latter are quite nice!).
December 9, 2017
Capital Starships is the first book in the Ixan Legacy series. If you are looking for a well written SciFi Military book, this is a good one to read. You can read this as a standalone book but it does end in a soft cliffhanger for the next book to be written in the series. There is a lot of violence. This is a military thriller after all.
The book blurb adequately describes the book so I am not going to repeat that information here. The author has done a good job of keeping elements of his original Ixan Prophecy future universe that was full of aliens, old tech and new tech, people in power who will do anything too continue to remain in power. Then combine that with these enemies of old as well as new problems to deal with. As usual, everything and everyone are not as they seem. Please be warned that there are political themes in this book. It’s probably not a good idea for you to read this if you are someone who requires a safe zone.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and want to read more.
The book blurb adequately describes the book so I am not going to repeat that information here. The author has done a good job of keeping elements of his original Ixan Prophecy future universe that was full of aliens, old tech and new tech, people in power who will do anything too continue to remain in power. Then combine that with these enemies of old as well as new problems to deal with. As usual, everything and everyone are not as they seem. Please be warned that there are political themes in this book. It’s probably not a good idea for you to read this if you are someone who requires a safe zone.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and want to read more.
March 1, 2021
I found this to be quite an enjoyable read. How the Capital Starships are having a whole city in its innards and being run by civilians even though it is a warship is a great idea for a pacifist at heart. But I'm not a pacifist and I was so glad to see Captain Husher finally able to throw off the civilian oversight and to fight the war as he should. Just needs to put that Kaithe in his place! The Ixa kept wanting to have Jake Price brought to him and the name was always familiar. Having read so many books since the last I heard of the name though was bewitching me. Reading the preview for the next book in the Ixan Legacy series now has me anticipating yet another good read. And it is great how past characters have now come back to life. Thank you Scott Bartlett for keeping me so enthralled.
April 4, 2018
Captain Husher is the commander of a starship that is both a navy vessel and also contains a large city of civilians and is part of galactic body made up of many races. They have not too long ago won a battle against a foe form outside their confederation that was intent on wiping them out and now Captain Husher is having to contend with growing unrest from the civilian population as well as what looks like the returning foes from the previous war. Various edicts from the civilian leaders are disrupting his control as the commander of a navy ship that may be heading into battle again. Internal turmoil and large space battles to come. Reasonable good read for those who like SF/Space action.
May 6, 2022
This was a good book speaking from solely a space opera perspective. However, there is alot of political/social justice issues that are interposed throughout the story, and frankly, they are not well written.
Another of my personal issues with this book, along with the wider "Ixan" series as a whole, is that the story is split into a multitude of sub series. When I finished the book "reckoning" at the end it said Captain Hushers story continues in this series. And I thought, awesome I'll read that. But little did I know there was a 4 book series following what happened to darkstream that should ve read before this one. And at the end of this book there are large spoilers for that series, so now I feel no motivation to backtrack and read it.
Another of my personal issues with this book, along with the wider "Ixan" series as a whole, is that the story is split into a multitude of sub series. When I finished the book "reckoning" at the end it said Captain Hushers story continues in this series. And I thought, awesome I'll read that. But little did I know there was a 4 book series following what happened to darkstream that should ve read before this one. And at the end of this book there are large spoilers for that series, so now I feel no motivation to backtrack and read it.
November 23, 2023
It is difficult to imagine a warship like Vesta that is so big that a city with wide open spaces could be build into it for a civilian population of thousands could be incorporated in it.
Yet it now exists seventeen years later after the devastating Ixan wars under the direction of the Ixan master strategist Teth.
This is where Vin Husher rules the roost. Except he is a leader under siege on his own ship. And suffering from guilt.
However, there are odd incidents indicating another war brewing in the Milkyway. Is it the Ixans again? At the instigation of more A I's of the mysterious Progenitors?
introducing a new trilogy Capital Starship once again leads the reader into a compelling new action packed war where the Milkyway is once again under threat of annihilation.
Enjoy.
Yet it now exists seventeen years later after the devastating Ixan wars under the direction of the Ixan master strategist Teth.
This is where Vin Husher rules the roost. Except he is a leader under siege on his own ship. And suffering from guilt.
However, there are odd incidents indicating another war brewing in the Milkyway. Is it the Ixans again? At the instigation of more A I's of the mysterious Progenitors?
introducing a new trilogy Capital Starship once again leads the reader into a compelling new action packed war where the Milkyway is once again under threat of annihilation.
Enjoy.
August 24, 2022
Sorry, but this book is awful. The main character is uninspiring and lacks any redeeming qualities. The supporting characters lack depth and their relationships feel forced. The concepts and storyline are cartoonish at best. An example of this occurs when the protagonist is confronted with a life altering truth. The author glosses over the revelation in a few of paragraphs and never circles back to it. The action scenes are average. The author's political/social leanings are also evident throughout the book, as he portrays liberals and social activists as imbeciles. Needless to say, I won't be continuing the series.
October 23, 2025
Wow wow wow. Bartlett really went there. Well bravo for illustrating how ridiculous societal issues can be. This sure did read like a commentary on politics here in the US. Or at least in a US university.
I love Vin Husher, I think just like I loved Captain Keyes. The battle scenes are what I love in these books; Bartlett is so good at these guys firing off commands and the various team leaders getting their soldiers to coordinate. I am not a fan of war, but I sure do love strategy and this book was chock full of it.
Well done, and Mark Boyett was fantastic.
I love Vin Husher, I think just like I loved Captain Keyes. The battle scenes are what I love in these books; Bartlett is so good at these guys firing off commands and the various team leaders getting their soldiers to coordinate. I am not a fan of war, but I sure do love strategy and this book was chock full of it.
Well done, and Mark Boyett was fantastic.
January 7, 2018
The book contains memorable characters who grow and change with the development of the story line. A wealth of aliens presented to choose your favorite as you follow along on this new venture in the Ixan Prophecies universe! Be part of this amazing world and enjoy the battles and planning as the stakes get higher!
Definitely recommended! If you love lots of action and suspense, you’re going to definitely enjoy this one!
Definitely recommended! If you love lots of action and suspense, you’re going to definitely enjoy this one!
January 25, 2018
Finished CAPITAL STARSHIP (Capital Starship) by Scott Bartlett, a KOLL selection for this month. This is a space soap opera, with the space portion being the first and last 25% and the soap opera being the middle 50 %. Envision a super-carrier space vehicle built around a civilian complex complete with a university, parks, and shopping centers. Add several different alien species, all sentient, and the ship captain is caught between a rock and a hard place.
April 15, 2019
An SB. SYFY. Novel (ILB. - 1)/Artificial Intelligent Beings Determined to Eliminate All Human Life
SB. has. penned the first novel in the Ixan. Legacy. novel. The Earth and it's a allies have become involved in an extinct war with another race of AI's. The AI's have been built by another's sentiment race determined to eliminate the Interplanetary coalition of planets. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
SB. has. penned the first novel in the Ixan. Legacy. novel. The Earth and it's a allies have become involved in an extinct war with another race of AI's. The AI's have been built by another's sentiment race determined to eliminate the Interplanetary coalition of planets. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
April 22, 2023
Hooked on the Ixan Saga
A new leader. The Ixan menace lives on. A new captain – Vin Husher. Alien races from the Ixan Prophecies, as well as new ones, new technologies, new military tactics, new characters and the usual Bartlett character development, and edge-of-the seat suspense.
Read the three books of the Ixan Prophecies first ($9.99 box set), as well as the four-book Mech Wars set ($9.99 box set). Scott Bartlett is as good as Rick Partlow at his best.
A new leader. The Ixan menace lives on. A new captain – Vin Husher. Alien races from the Ixan Prophecies, as well as new ones, new technologies, new military tactics, new characters and the usual Bartlett character development, and edge-of-the seat suspense.
Read the three books of the Ixan Prophecies first ($9.99 box set), as well as the four-book Mech Wars set ($9.99 box set). Scott Bartlett is as good as Rick Partlow at his best.
December 13, 2017
Good space opera
Not a bad story, but a little confusing. The captain of a capital warship being very wishy washy about his command due to civilian telling him what to do. Not very believable to me. The combat sections were good & the tactics as well. Will want to read next book to see if story line gets better.
Not a bad story, but a little confusing. The captain of a capital warship being very wishy washy about his command due to civilian telling him what to do. Not very believable to me. The combat sections were good & the tactics as well. Will want to read next book to see if story line gets better.
January 10, 2020
I enjoyed the first 3 books but I am not sure I will be able to finish this book. My biggest problem is that this book has way to many parallels to existing 2020 drama. One chapter I feel like I am watching CNN, the next chapter I feel like I am watching Fox News. I want to be entertained not reminded of stupidity that is running amuck.
June 10, 2020
I enjoyed Bartlett's Ixan Prophesies series, and this series continues the story with some fun space battles, interesting aliens, and insufferable politicians and protesters. It's well written and interesting. Mark Boyett does a fantastic job with the narration. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.
December 14, 2017
Great read.
Scott Bartlett has written a page turner, the plotted twisted a few times and was pretty surprising. A few things were predictable but any book written by Mr. Bartlett is worth reading.
Scott Bartlett has written a page turner, the plotted twisted a few times and was pretty surprising. A few things were predictable but any book written by Mr. Bartlett is worth reading.
May 16, 2018
Ahh, military space opera. I enjoyed this book and its cast of characters. They are a dynamic group that really makes you feel some of the 2018 political correctness mindset. Scott Bartlett did a great job setting this story up and getting me invested. Read this one in a hurry!
January 24, 2020
From bad to good
The first 75% of the book was kind of boring. Too many anti war liberal cliche characters combined with the slow unwinding of Captain Husher. Then last climactic battle scene saved the story. I will want to read more in this series
The first 75% of the book was kind of boring. Too many anti war liberal cliche characters combined with the slow unwinding of Captain Husher. Then last climactic battle scene saved the story. I will want to read more in this series
December 16, 2017
Good read
A little,verbose but still a,good read. I hope the next book is at least equal. Now filling to submit hu
A little,verbose but still a,good read. I hope the next book is at least equal. Now filling to submit hu
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