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Blackwood & Virtue #2
Dark Star Rising
The misfit crew of HMSS Daring are on a covert mission to dismantle a sprawling pirate network threatening the empire in this enthralling second Blackwood & Virtue novel—a thrilling, action-packed blend of the military sea adventures of Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander series with Jim Butcher’s sci fi Cinder Spires novels.
Exuberant after scoring a major victory against enemy pirates, the star sailing ship HMSS Daring eagerly embarks on its new mission. Until the pirate network is dismantled and its mysterious leader Dark Star brought to justice, the safety of the empire remains in jeopardy.
Supported by the ship’s misfit crew, Subcommander Liam Blackwood and Quartermaster Amelia Virtue go undercover, following leads that take them deep into the pirate network. Yet the closer they get to its center and the elusive Dark Star, the clearer it becomes that all is not what it seems.
Pirates aren’t the only danger the duo face. Empowered by imperial decree, an old enemy is murdering noble families and taking their property—an enemy that has a personal grudge against Daring and her crew. And now he is on his way across the galaxy to exact revenge.
Caught between ruthless pirates, a vengeful enemy, and their own increasingly intense feelings, Liam and Amelia must use all their cunning, charm, and daring to get out this alive.
Exuberant after scoring a major victory against enemy pirates, the star sailing ship HMSS Daring eagerly embarks on its new mission. Until the pirate network is dismantled and its mysterious leader Dark Star brought to justice, the safety of the empire remains in jeopardy.
Supported by the ship’s misfit crew, Subcommander Liam Blackwood and Quartermaster Amelia Virtue go undercover, following leads that take them deep into the pirate network. Yet the closer they get to its center and the elusive Dark Star, the clearer it becomes that all is not what it seems.
Pirates aren’t the only danger the duo face. Empowered by imperial decree, an old enemy is murdering noble families and taking their property—an enemy that has a personal grudge against Daring and her crew. And now he is on his way across the galaxy to exact revenge.
Caught between ruthless pirates, a vengeful enemy, and their own increasingly intense feelings, Liam and Amelia must use all their cunning, charm, and daring to get out this alive.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 7, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 18, 2020
Another galactic empire.
A space navy very closely based on the 18th/19th century Age of Sail British navy. This includes propulsion almost entirely by solar sail--seemingly including at FTL speeds. Grappling hooks, boarding parties, cannon.
A reptilian alien species who call themselves Theropods--i.e., the name we give to the category of dinosaurs that includes Tyrannosaurus Rex and the ancestors of birds. Okay. I mean, it seems unlikely, but, okay.
Our heroes, Subcommander Liam Blackwood and Sublieutenant Amelia Virtue, are the executive officer and the quartermaster of HMSS Daring. (That's "His Majesty's Sailing Ship, by the way, not "Space Ship." Those solar sails, able to propel these ships at FTL speeds...) They're hunting down pirates led by the nefarious, mysterious Dark Star. We meet them, and the captain, Commander Sophia Riverton, as well as the ship's doctor, Sublieutenant Dr. Ava Templegrey, as they're heading off to a gala ball while ashore resupplying the ship. Riverton, Blackwood, and Templegrey are all midlevel nobles; Virtue and other crew members we meet are commoners. Within a very hours, they'll be heading off again, much sooner than planned, with a new enemy in addition to the pirate, Dark Star.
Am I being a little hard on the book? Maybe. I have to say I like the characters, and the book is more realistic than many about the problems with an hereditary, aristocratic class system. Which is to say, the problem isn't primarily that the noble classes are any more likely than anyone else to be either idiots, or evil. It's a good deal more complicated than that.
But, dear lord, these people are melodramatic. Riverton less so than the others, but even her, in her way.
And they have grand adventures, with both Riverton and Virtue proving unexpectedly good at dealing with aliens--Riverton in part due to diplomatic training and experience, and Virtue with a down-to-earth practicality.and decency. I suspect Horatio Hormblower would appreciate their sailing tactics, even if I find the idea of FTL wind sailing in space a little tough to swallow. The crew of Daring are brave, clever, resourceful.
i can't figure out, though, why any reasonably functional, theoretically high-tech society, would include as part of the legally acceptable process of foreclosing on a deeply indebted household the public murder of the principal debt-holder. Really. By sword. With dozens of witnesses. All cool! I mean, bad taste and all that, but no crime at all.
A more mundane and, I think, even less believable feature: This galaxy-spanning empire does not have photography. Seriously. Blackwood and Virtue encounter it as a fun, new novelty on a space station they're visiting to make contact with an information source.
By the later part of the story, I did really care what happened to these characters, but at the same time, I was left frustrated and annoyed with some of the plain ridiculousness. No, I am not going to be able to swallow the idea of FTL travel via solar sail--especially in a book that doesn't even acknowledge that travel between star systems would require FTL travel, or that there's any difference between in-system travel and travel between systems. That stars are not, by solar sail, just a few days or weeks or months apart.
This book, and the series, will certainly have happy readers, and I envy them. There's some good stuff here, and good fun.
It's not for me, though, and I won't be looking for more of the series.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
A space navy very closely based on the 18th/19th century Age of Sail British navy. This includes propulsion almost entirely by solar sail--seemingly including at FTL speeds. Grappling hooks, boarding parties, cannon.
A reptilian alien species who call themselves Theropods--i.e., the name we give to the category of dinosaurs that includes Tyrannosaurus Rex and the ancestors of birds. Okay. I mean, it seems unlikely, but, okay.
Our heroes, Subcommander Liam Blackwood and Sublieutenant Amelia Virtue, are the executive officer and the quartermaster of HMSS Daring. (That's "His Majesty's Sailing Ship, by the way, not "Space Ship." Those solar sails, able to propel these ships at FTL speeds...) They're hunting down pirates led by the nefarious, mysterious Dark Star. We meet them, and the captain, Commander Sophia Riverton, as well as the ship's doctor, Sublieutenant Dr. Ava Templegrey, as they're heading off to a gala ball while ashore resupplying the ship. Riverton, Blackwood, and Templegrey are all midlevel nobles; Virtue and other crew members we meet are commoners. Within a very hours, they'll be heading off again, much sooner than planned, with a new enemy in addition to the pirate, Dark Star.
Am I being a little hard on the book? Maybe. I have to say I like the characters, and the book is more realistic than many about the problems with an hereditary, aristocratic class system. Which is to say, the problem isn't primarily that the noble classes are any more likely than anyone else to be either idiots, or evil. It's a good deal more complicated than that.
But, dear lord, these people are melodramatic. Riverton less so than the others, but even her, in her way.
And they have grand adventures, with both Riverton and Virtue proving unexpectedly good at dealing with aliens--Riverton in part due to diplomatic training and experience, and Virtue with a down-to-earth practicality.and decency. I suspect Horatio Hormblower would appreciate their sailing tactics, even if I find the idea of FTL wind sailing in space a little tough to swallow. The crew of Daring are brave, clever, resourceful.
i can't figure out, though, why any reasonably functional, theoretically high-tech society, would include as part of the legally acceptable process of foreclosing on a deeply indebted household the public murder of the principal debt-holder. Really. By sword. With dozens of witnesses. All cool! I mean, bad taste and all that, but no crime at all.
A more mundane and, I think, even less believable feature: This galaxy-spanning empire does not have photography. Seriously. Blackwood and Virtue encounter it as a fun, new novelty on a space station they're visiting to make contact with an information source.
By the later part of the story, I did really care what happened to these characters, but at the same time, I was left frustrated and annoyed with some of the plain ridiculousness. No, I am not going to be able to swallow the idea of FTL travel via solar sail--especially in a book that doesn't even acknowledge that travel between star systems would require FTL travel, or that there's any difference between in-system travel and travel between systems. That stars are not, by solar sail, just a few days or weeks or months apart.
This book, and the series, will certainly have happy readers, and I envy them. There's some good stuff here, and good fun.
It's not for me, though, and I won't be looking for more of the series.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
October 3, 2020
The officers and crew of HMSS Daring continue playing their double game in this second swashbuckers-in-space outing of the Blackwood & Virtue series (after The Winds of Marque) The story combines the loving detail of the operations of the solar sailing ship with all the dangerous derring-do of the hunt for a pirate lord attempting to take down an empire.
Ship’s XO (Lord) Liam Blackwood and his partner, Quartermaster - and commoner - Amelia Virtue’s liaison comes under siege as the pursuit of the pirate’s revolutionary followers reveals the chasms of privilege between them. Virtue understands the desire to take down the oppressive system of nobility while Blackwood can’t see other possibilities - no matter how much the game of nobility has already cost him personally.
When the pirate Dark Star turns out to be a lost piece of Blackwood’s past, loyalties are torn and jealousy rears its ugly head. But the mission must go on, and the empire must be preserved. Which does not mean that honor can’t be satisfied with a bit of subterfuge to provide plenty of possibilities for the future.
VERDICT: This naval adventure in space is recommended for readers of Honor Harrigton and the Vorkosigan Saga, as all three combine adventure, espionage, tight-knit crews of families of choice, as well as a mix of governmental shenanigans, war and political corruption.
November 20, 2020
The only negative I have to say about both of these books is how it flits between events. I understand pacing and story structure but it feels odd when you write 400 pages and the end feels clipped and abbreviated. Other than that, these are great reads to take you away- though I still can't figure out the whole sailing on the winds in space thing out.... give them a read. You won't be disappointed.
June 14, 2020
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This second book in the series continues the story smoothly after the events of the first book, Winds of Marque. Of course, characters have progressed and developed and relationships solidified. And we get more of the same odd tech and anti-tech mix (a world where you view ships through spyglasses on your bridge and photographs are just being invented). But it is still as fun a ride as ever: an action packed swashbuckling space opera.Story: The Daring has made some great inroads into the pirate empire, even identifying the leader as Dark Star. But they also made a very important enemy - one whose greed and incompetence are more of a threat than his cunning. As they try to do their job to cut down the pirate empire, they are hampered from within and without - while their disguise as a merchant ship is slowly falling apart with each pirate ship they take down. Even more surprisingly, Dark Star has taken a particular interest in Blackwood - causing Blackwood to fear there is something personal at stake here. But as the Daring crew faces new danger, they are also finding new allies - ones not bound by the same stifling noble codes of honor under which they chafe.
There are several twists here - most you can see coming. Author Coles does perhaps over-telegraph plot points (to the point where it makes the characters look fairly stupid for not figuring things out sooner) and certainly could use a bit more restraint in that regard. And I couldn't quite follow the logic of the characters in how they reacted to those twists. Resolutions to conflicts could feel very simplistic at times.
There was some good character development but also some issues. E.g., now that there is a romantic relationship between Blackwood and Virtue, Coles has to resort to petty jealousies consuming the female character in order to create drama. Add in Virtue slut shaming anyone who came near Blackwood (even for work) and it got old fast (I hope that Coles had Virtue slut shaming to emphasize she was a commoner and not because that's what he thinks women do). If anything, I could have wished for a bit more cross-class tensions that prevented the relationship from starting at all but created interesting moments. E.g., a Mulder and Scully type of scenario that could have been far more enticing.
There are plenty of battles, boardings, station skirmishes, betrayals, scheming, and just fun stupid action. It's almost a guilty pleasure - one where you turn off your brain and just let it roll for the spectacle. Despite the odd inconsistencies, I did enjoy this second novel as much as the first. There aren't enough sci fi books out there that are just plain fun without being spoofs or just goofy. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
October 13, 2020
Dark Star Rising by Bennett R. Coles
This is a follow up on Winds of Marque which I also enjoyed. Once again it is an interesting meld of high tech and steam punk. Sailing ships with cannons and yet air locks and aliens provide an interesting setting. Lord Liam Blackwood and Petty Officer Amelia Virtue are the main protagonists. There in likes one of the contentions in the book, a Lord and a commoner with more in common then is normally acceptable in “polite” society. A notorious pirate, Dark Star, is assaulting the Empire’s trade and HMSS Daring is tasked the stopping of Dark Star.
The author shows the disparity between haves and have nots quite clearly. Considering the way our society is heading, the disparity description may be spot on. Dark Star may not be a criminal and Dark Star’s goal may not be just the amassing of ill-gotten gains.
An entertaining story with a good set of characters.
BTW the women in this book KICK BUTT!
This is a follow up on Winds of Marque which I also enjoyed. Once again it is an interesting meld of high tech and steam punk. Sailing ships with cannons and yet air locks and aliens provide an interesting setting. Lord Liam Blackwood and Petty Officer Amelia Virtue are the main protagonists. There in likes one of the contentions in the book, a Lord and a commoner with more in common then is normally acceptable in “polite” society. A notorious pirate, Dark Star, is assaulting the Empire’s trade and HMSS Daring is tasked the stopping of Dark Star.
The author shows the disparity between haves and have nots quite clearly. Considering the way our society is heading, the disparity description may be spot on. Dark Star may not be a criminal and Dark Star’s goal may not be just the amassing of ill-gotten gains.
An entertaining story with a good set of characters.
BTW the women in this book KICK BUTT!
November 6, 2020
Coles, Bennett R. Dark Star Rising. Blackwood and Coles No. 2. Harper Voyager, 2020.
Horatio Hornblower is the gift that keeps giving to authors of straight-up military space opera. In Dark Star Rising, most of the action moves from the combat bridge to the ballroom and the kind of court intrigue that has always been an element of naval warfare novels. Some readers may wish for more talk of armor and weapon throw-weight, but the backstage drama is certainly necessary for Coles to build a credible world. It is nicely complicated with several factions of baddies, but the quality of the prose is flat and does not add to the drama. The most engaging characters are the several women warriors in Blackwood’s life and the two theropods who join his crew. I do wish they weren’t relegated to roles of comic sidekicks. Dark Star is slightly better than Winds of Marque, but nothing here will throw Honor Harrington off her perch as the queen of military science fiction.
Horatio Hornblower is the gift that keeps giving to authors of straight-up military space opera. In Dark Star Rising, most of the action moves from the combat bridge to the ballroom and the kind of court intrigue that has always been an element of naval warfare novels. Some readers may wish for more talk of armor and weapon throw-weight, but the backstage drama is certainly necessary for Coles to build a credible world. It is nicely complicated with several factions of baddies, but the quality of the prose is flat and does not add to the drama. The most engaging characters are the several women warriors in Blackwood’s life and the two theropods who join his crew. I do wish they weren’t relegated to roles of comic sidekicks. Dark Star is slightly better than Winds of Marque, but nothing here will throw Honor Harrington off her perch as the queen of military science fiction.
April 18, 2022
My first time with this author and series. I enjoyed this strange mash-up of 19th century sailing ships and space ships. Gunpowder and swords along with space travel via solar winds and sails. Liam and Amelia were engaging and interesting characters. The story line moved along at a nice pace. Despite not having read the first book, there was enough backstory that I never felt lost. My one little quibble though - the only endearment spoken is 'darling.' It was used so frequently that I found myself wondering if the author knew of anything else.
Excellent.
Excellent.
November 29, 2020
Dark Star Rising is a somewhat underwhelming sequel to the first book in the series. It has action, adventure, pirates, and aliens. A bit of everything. Fans of the first book should enjoy it but may find it not quite as good as its predecessor.
November 21, 2020
Enjoyed this story.
November 24, 2020
Lots of action and adventures going on in Dark star Rising! Loved the characters Liam and Amelia!
Loved the story being around pirate and ships.
Loved the story being around pirate and ships.
January 21, 2021
More swashing and buckling in space!
February 1, 2021
Enjoyed this story.
February 9, 2021
"Dark Star Rising" by Blackwood and Virtue reads like a Western on the High Seas.
March 19, 2021
Boring with two annoying central characters.
September 25, 2021
the book is fun but the science is to be ignored. Pirates and Buccaneers in space with British Naval Gentlemen behaving badly. Alight read but good.
April 11, 2022
Oh gosh, this is such a good series.
February 14, 2023
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Another great book from one of my favorite authors. Highly recommend to friends and family.
July 2, 2024
I think middle school or early high school me would have enjoyed this more.
January 9, 2025
A nice couple of Sci-Fi swashbucklers. Wouldn't mind seeing more of these in the future.
April 14, 2025
Fun and fast paced!
June 24, 2020
Pirates, swordplay, mystery, aliens, a bit of romance,and sailing the cosmic winds near the center of the galaxy create a fast moving scifi adventure. Suspend your belief a whole lot--interstellar travel, but photographs are something new? Don't question the science, just enjoy the ride.
November 2, 2020
Book 1 got 5 stars; Book 2 got 3 stars...
... and for a good reason.
Book 1 was a fun romp in which the entertaining characters and enjoyable story made up for the implausibility of some of the story line and the blatant and predictable plot choices made by the author.
Book 2 had its moments and many of the characters remained entertaining. However, the author doubled down on the implausibility and the predictability in a manner that nearly ruined the fun.
Moreover, one of the lesser villains in the book does everything but twirl his mustache.... while the main villains (which I won't spoil here) have their own very shallow characterizations ... I expected so much more from this book.
I will continue to read this series... but if things continue in this direction, not for long.
... and for a good reason.
Book 1 was a fun romp in which the entertaining characters and enjoyable story made up for the implausibility of some of the story line and the blatant and predictable plot choices made by the author.
Book 2 had its moments and many of the characters remained entertaining. However, the author doubled down on the implausibility and the predictability in a manner that nearly ruined the fun.
Moreover, one of the lesser villains in the book does everything but twirl his mustache.... while the main villains (which I won't spoil here) have their own very shallow characterizations ... I expected so much more from this book.
I will continue to read this series... but if things continue in this direction, not for long.
March 25, 2021
Graciously received a free copy through good reads.
I probably would have liked this book better if I had read the first one. As it was, I had a hard time with understanding the environment and it never really felt like it took place in space to me.
Also, it was very easy to tell what was going to happen in the book, and I don't like when books are so predictable.
However, I'm sure this would be a good read for someone who likes space pirates vs the military type books.
I probably would have liked this book better if I had read the first one. As it was, I had a hard time with understanding the environment and it never really felt like it took place in space to me.
Also, it was very easy to tell what was going to happen in the book, and I don't like when books are so predictable.
However, I'm sure this would be a good read for someone who likes space pirates vs the military type books.
January 13, 2024
2.0/5.0 This series has asked the question, "What if treasure planet was kind of boring?" I don't think it takes enough advantage of the sci-fi portion of the setting, which is disappointing because sci-fi sailing ships in space has a lot of potential. Instead, you could replace the names of the different planets with places on earth, and it would change nothing. While the characters are serviceable, most of the minor ones blend together in a mush that made me have to go back and reread portions to remember who the main characters were talking to. I could have done without the very quickly resolved love triangle subplot. Or the romance subplot altogether. Like, it's just too bland for me to even properly dislike it.
January 28, 2022
Another rollicking swashbuckler amongst the stars making for an fun, entertaining read. Nothing too dark or excessively heavy permeates the story or it’s main characters, just heroes you can root for and adventure you can enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews