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Unification War Trilogy #2
No Quarter
Humanity is fractured and on the brink of war…
The United Terran Federation and the Eastern Star Alliance have been fighting in minor skirmishes along the border region for the last few years, but now it threatens to break out into a full-on war with the victor assuming control of all human space.
The Alliance has fired the opening shots with a horrific strike on a civilian target, killing millions and shocking the Federation's parliament into action. Now mighty fleets of starships are moving against each other, ready for the final battle that will settle the conflict once and for all.
The venerable Admiral Jackson Wolfe prepares himself for one last fight as his nemesis, Admiral Vadim Kohl, looks to make a name for himself by defeating the infamous Federation officer in battle. Jackson knows events are now in motion that can't be stopped and only one thing is certain: win or lose, nothing will ever be the same again.
No Quarter is the second book in the Unification War Trilogy and the eighth book in the overall Black Fleet Saga.
The United Terran Federation and the Eastern Star Alliance have been fighting in minor skirmishes along the border region for the last few years, but now it threatens to break out into a full-on war with the victor assuming control of all human space.
The Alliance has fired the opening shots with a horrific strike on a civilian target, killing millions and shocking the Federation's parliament into action. Now mighty fleets of starships are moving against each other, ready for the final battle that will settle the conflict once and for all.
The venerable Admiral Jackson Wolfe prepares himself for one last fight as his nemesis, Admiral Vadim Kohl, looks to make a name for himself by defeating the infamous Federation officer in battle. Jackson knows events are now in motion that can't be stopped and only one thing is certain: win or lose, nothing will ever be the same again.
No Quarter is the second book in the Unification War Trilogy and the eighth book in the overall Black Fleet Saga.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2021
373 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
June 16, 2021
Wow! It's been almost a year since I read the first book in this series, "Battleground", so it was something of a first task to figure out what this series was supposed to be about. In the first book, we read about the Federation hero, Admiral Jackson Wolfe, and how he couldn't stop the Eastern Star Alliance villain, Admiral Vadim Kohl, from destroying the planet Odmena. Of course Kohl will say it was all a mistake and he meant for those antimatter bombs to hit Jackson Wolf's starship, but they did miss and billions were killed on the planet. Now Jackson Wolfe has sworn to bring Kohl to justice for his war crimes (although there isn't actually a declared war).
Behind all of this is an uneasy tension between Federation and Alliance which could turn into an all out war with just the right spark. The Federation is pretty much devastated with the recent Phage War and the Alliance certainly has an advantage in starships, but not technology. So, for now it's peace, but something or someone else is becoming a player. They are making moves within both the Federation and the Alliance that neither political or military leadership understand. The Federation finds itself rife with turncoats that are causing great confusion within its military and political structure. Now, it appears that the Alliance is about ready to move in and activate a lot of sleeper agents to cause chaos within the Federation while they press some military advantages.
One such advantage they have is the secret Bluebird communication net that the Federation has developed which gave them a very serious tactical advantage. Through the Bluebird network, orders and direct communications over light-years could be maintained which allowed the Federation to easily coordinate their movements that baffled the Alliance. Now the Alliance has obtain several of these Bluebird boxes and they are using this same network in secret to send their own messages and read what the Federation is sending. Yet, the Alliance wants more and they know where the secret Bluebird production base is located. It is thought that Admiral Kohl will be leading this Alliance armada to take star system B-1117, the home of Exeter Base. That's where Admiral Wolfe will be heading immediately.
Admiral Wolfe is now in charge of a small flotilla of five Super Valkyrie-class destroyers. He's independent of CENTCOM and outside the normal military chain of command for the sole purpose of pursuing Kohl. Yet, at the same time he knows that he must protect Exeter Base and not let the Bluebird assets it contains fall into Alliance hands. There is also something else buried deep beneath the base that must be protected almost more than the Bluebird systems. This asset was placed there by Wolfe right after the Phage war and it cannot be allowed out.
While all this is going on, there appears to be a third entity made up of Alliance civilians who have decided they want to rule the entire galaxy and are willing to destroy both the Federation and the Alliance. They have their own military assets to cause great harm to both civilizations and have Admiral Kohl in their pocket too. Even he's afraid of this group of secret and very wealth men. Will they be able to pull off their agenda? You'll be surprised at how far they succeed even with the famous Admiral Jackson Wolfe fighting against them with all he has.
It'll probably be another year before book three is released. It's title will be "Empire" but no date for it's release. Still, this will probably be one to read if nothing more than to finish the trilogy!
Behind all of this is an uneasy tension between Federation and Alliance which could turn into an all out war with just the right spark. The Federation is pretty much devastated with the recent Phage War and the Alliance certainly has an advantage in starships, but not technology. So, for now it's peace, but something or someone else is becoming a player. They are making moves within both the Federation and the Alliance that neither political or military leadership understand. The Federation finds itself rife with turncoats that are causing great confusion within its military and political structure. Now, it appears that the Alliance is about ready to move in and activate a lot of sleeper agents to cause chaos within the Federation while they press some military advantages.
One such advantage they have is the secret Bluebird communication net that the Federation has developed which gave them a very serious tactical advantage. Through the Bluebird network, orders and direct communications over light-years could be maintained which allowed the Federation to easily coordinate their movements that baffled the Alliance. Now the Alliance has obtain several of these Bluebird boxes and they are using this same network in secret to send their own messages and read what the Federation is sending. Yet, the Alliance wants more and they know where the secret Bluebird production base is located. It is thought that Admiral Kohl will be leading this Alliance armada to take star system B-1117, the home of Exeter Base. That's where Admiral Wolfe will be heading immediately.
Admiral Wolfe is now in charge of a small flotilla of five Super Valkyrie-class destroyers. He's independent of CENTCOM and outside the normal military chain of command for the sole purpose of pursuing Kohl. Yet, at the same time he knows that he must protect Exeter Base and not let the Bluebird assets it contains fall into Alliance hands. There is also something else buried deep beneath the base that must be protected almost more than the Bluebird systems. This asset was placed there by Wolfe right after the Phage war and it cannot be allowed out.
While all this is going on, there appears to be a third entity made up of Alliance civilians who have decided they want to rule the entire galaxy and are willing to destroy both the Federation and the Alliance. They have their own military assets to cause great harm to both civilizations and have Admiral Kohl in their pocket too. Even he's afraid of this group of secret and very wealth men. Will they be able to pull off their agenda? You'll be surprised at how far they succeed even with the famous Admiral Jackson Wolfe fighting against them with all he has.
It'll probably be another year before book three is released. It's title will be "Empire" but no date for it's release. Still, this will probably be one to read if nothing more than to finish the trilogy!
March 1, 2024
The story changed FAR more than expected!
I’m leaving a minimal review now because there’s far too much to relate with a cellphone keyboard! Suffice it to say that the story went in a massively unexpected direction…
I’m leaving a minimal review now because there’s far too much to relate with a cellphone keyboard! Suffice it to say that the story went in a massively unexpected direction…
May 27, 2021
I loved the story and couldn't put it down. I think I finished in a little over a day on a workday. That said, there's probably a bit of editing that still needs to be done. There are some references that were done out of order and I'm pretty sure one of the characters died but still got referred to as if they were alive (that or the other character had psychological issues dealing with the death).
May 31, 2021
What a Read
Liked the story. Wolf pack was a good name for the taskforce. Can't wait for book 3. Maybe that Alliance will finally take care of Kohl. Will Aegis and Admiral Wolfe save the day? Will Earth assume it's rightful place of leadership? We have Makon and Chan to worry about as well as Sam Trapped. Who is she really? Stay tuned for more exciting action!!
Liked the story. Wolf pack was a good name for the taskforce. Can't wait for book 3. Maybe that Alliance will finally take care of Kohl. Will Aegis and Admiral Wolfe save the day? Will Earth assume it's rightful place of leadership? We have Makon and Chan to worry about as well as Sam Trapped. Who is she really? Stay tuned for more exciting action!!
April 29, 2021
Can’t wait for the next installment
Great follow up to the first Unification War book, but there are a ton of typo’s that are pretty jarring.
Is his wife’s name Gillian or Jillian? It’s different every chapter.
Great follow up to the first Unification War book, but there are a ton of typo’s that are pretty jarring.
Is his wife’s name Gillian or Jillian? It’s different every chapter.
February 24, 2022
Worth more than two bits.
Sorry for the horrible pun based on the book’s title. This was a much better book than the first in the current trilogy, and I’m really not happy that I’ll have to wait a while for what I’m sure will be a terrific conclusion.
The only criticism I have is that the copy editors deserve a failing grade for failing to correct mss add not egregious errors. I will either post them from my Kindle, or copy a few here later. The go beyond poor grammar to include several words that were clearly typos from typing adjacent letters on the keyboard.
Sorry for the horrible pun based on the book’s title. This was a much better book than the first in the current trilogy, and I’m really not happy that I’ll have to wait a while for what I’m sure will be a terrific conclusion.
The only criticism I have is that the copy editors deserve a failing grade for failing to correct mss add not egregious errors. I will either post them from my Kindle, or copy a few here later. The go beyond poor grammar to include several words that were clearly typos from typing adjacent letters on the keyboard.
August 12, 2021
This is awesome series of books. Joshua, you had me at hello.
I am probably way to old to love science fiction as much as I do. I don’t have any idea of how many science fiction books I have read at 69 years of age. I can’t even remember what was my first sf book. I read lots of different genres but in the twilight of my life I am almost exclusively a sf fan. And Joshua, I fell into your realm some time ago. I love what you have done with Jackson Wolfe and company. I enjoy hating his enemies as though they were my own. I enjoy them as they are part of my family. I would have loved being on their Team. I will at some point have read every one of your books, I hope that God will let me live long enough to do so. I write this not so much to encourage someone to read this book but to start at the beginning and watch Jackson and Company grow up. Joshua, this was a GRAND SLAM. All I can ask of you is to KEEL THEM COMING! I know you have lots of fans out their in this world… I just want you to know that I am your biggest fan. No matter what anyone else thinks I am on the top of the heap of your fan’s. I am so grateful for the tome I spend reading your books. When will they become a Netflix or Prime series? God Bless you. Respectfully, JWMIV.
I am probably way to old to love science fiction as much as I do. I don’t have any idea of how many science fiction books I have read at 69 years of age. I can’t even remember what was my first sf book. I read lots of different genres but in the twilight of my life I am almost exclusively a sf fan. And Joshua, I fell into your realm some time ago. I love what you have done with Jackson Wolfe and company. I enjoy hating his enemies as though they were my own. I enjoy them as they are part of my family. I would have loved being on their Team. I will at some point have read every one of your books, I hope that God will let me live long enough to do so. I write this not so much to encourage someone to read this book but to start at the beginning and watch Jackson and Company grow up. Joshua, this was a GRAND SLAM. All I can ask of you is to KEEL THEM COMING! I know you have lots of fans out their in this world… I just want you to know that I am your biggest fan. No matter what anyone else thinks I am on the top of the heap of your fan’s. I am so grateful for the tome I spend reading your books. When will they become a Netflix or Prime series? God Bless you. Respectfully, JWMIV.
August 1, 2021
Good book, Jackson wolf not firing on all cylinders.
A good middle book with some stupid decisions made by the main protagonist. Why would you leave a spy alive who has already killed a captain and a first officer of your fleet. I know it has to do with something concerning the plot line but in my belief I think the author should’ve written it differently. It makes Jackson wolfs character seem a little ineffectual as far as I’m concerned and an earlier book he shoots a mutineer in the face but he can’t kill a woman who is killed to fleet officers and is a dangerous spy silly. The other reason I gave this book at three was because when they went to the top secret base it took them in interminable amount of time to realize the base was under attack. If there is a top secret base that you lose communication from that’s manufacturing one of your most strategic components why not go in first and then ask questions later. They didn’t seem to be any urgency there. He could’ve kept his ships hidden and sent down the marine assault shuttles. It’s still a good series but it seems Jackson lost a few IQ points in this book.
A good middle book with some stupid decisions made by the main protagonist. Why would you leave a spy alive who has already killed a captain and a first officer of your fleet. I know it has to do with something concerning the plot line but in my belief I think the author should’ve written it differently. It makes Jackson wolfs character seem a little ineffectual as far as I’m concerned and an earlier book he shoots a mutineer in the face but he can’t kill a woman who is killed to fleet officers and is a dangerous spy silly. The other reason I gave this book at three was because when they went to the top secret base it took them in interminable amount of time to realize the base was under attack. If there is a top secret base that you lose communication from that’s manufacturing one of your most strategic components why not go in first and then ask questions later. They didn’t seem to be any urgency there. He could’ve kept his ships hidden and sent down the marine assault shuttles. It’s still a good series but it seems Jackson lost a few IQ points in this book.
December 8, 2022
This book is so much fun and the characters, politics and action really comes alive. Dalzelle's writing is only getting better and better, and I am really impressed. The fact that the author often takes things in a very different direction than I would have expected makes it all the better.
Sometimes credibility is stretched a bit, and it almost lost a star as I was feeling a bit annoyed that what was transparently obvious to the reader from the first book was completely ignored by all the characters. Not even a naive straight investigation of the suspicious breadcrumb trail was attempted. However, sometimes people miss obvious signs because we are too focused on other matters or have make a rash decision because it is too painful or tiresome to linger. It is certainly not impossible for the obvious to be missed in the heat of the action, just a bit frustrating as a reader. A great piece of work though. Dalzelle is a rising star and I can't wait to read more.
Sometimes credibility is stretched a bit, and it almost lost a star as I was feeling a bit annoyed that what was transparently obvious to the reader from the first book was completely ignored by all the characters. Not even a naive straight investigation of the suspicious breadcrumb trail was attempted. However, sometimes people miss obvious signs because we are too focused on other matters or have make a rash decision because it is too painful or tiresome to linger. It is certainly not impossible for the obvious to be missed in the heat of the action, just a bit frustrating as a reader. A great piece of work though. Dalzelle is a rising star and I can't wait to read more.
January 4, 2023
3.5 Stars on this book if I could give one. In the first book in the series, Vadim Kohl is set up as the bad guy that needs to be hunted down by Admiral Jackson Wolfe. That is the theme and basis for this book. The two opposing enemies battle in a few other systems and war atrocities are committed by both sides - even if not on the same scale. The book has action and intrigue but the overall story arc does not change. The end of the book has no resolution to the main conflict and I actually wonder if I hadn’t listened to it, I wouldn’t be missing too much. I did enjoy the book, just not to the same extent as other books JD writes. I will finish the series, because I haven’t been turned off yet.
November 1, 2022
Really good story but a huge amount of typos. I also didn't appreciate the main character having to do something completely stupid just to move the plot along. I'm talking about the captured spy. Wolfe is heading to a planet and admits more than once that the planet hasn't a secure enough area to hold the spy so he needs to keep the spy on the ship. And of course he leaves the spy on the planet. If Mr Dalzelle needs the spy alive & free for book 3, he should have come up with a better plotline than that bit of stupidity, it's just insulting to the reader for someone to do something so out of character just to drive the story.
June 6, 2021
Sci-Fi Master
At age 71 and already hearing Old Winters Song, I am confident I’ve read every book ever written by Joshua Dalzelle, many 2 or 3 times. An avid reader (averaging 5 books per week), I love his great attention to detail of both his story and the many characters you watch grow before your very eyes. Anyone who enjoys reading Sci-Fi will become avid followers of Joshua Dalzelle’s books. They are true page-turners that I would recommend them for any age group or gender, and best of all they are bargained priced for everyone’s budget!
At age 71 and already hearing Old Winters Song, I am confident I’ve read every book ever written by Joshua Dalzelle, many 2 or 3 times. An avid reader (averaging 5 books per week), I love his great attention to detail of both his story and the many characters you watch grow before your very eyes. Anyone who enjoys reading Sci-Fi will become avid followers of Joshua Dalzelle’s books. They are true page-turners that I would recommend them for any age group or gender, and best of all they are bargained priced for everyone’s budget!
May 10, 2021
This was very much a 'middle book'. The primary story had a complete arc and the ending was a true cliff-hanger (as opposed to the modern versions where things just stop mid-paragraph). This did a great job building out the story and setting up some interesting directions for the future. Aegis seemed to have the potential to become an interesting character. Admiral Wolfe was still disappointing. At least he seems to give up playing Captain some of the time.
June 15, 2021
Jackson Wolfe is again pressed into action to defend the Federation from an Alliance group who wants to subjugate all of humanity. His old nemesis, Vadim Kohl, is being used by this group as a "front man". Using clandestinely developed anti-matter devices, Kohl destroys several civilizations in a mad rampage across space. Jackson Wolfe needs all of his knowledge, contacts, and cunning to track Kohl and the members of his cabal in order to save humanity.
March 6, 2022
No aliens…but still not bad
My review of this book was going to be 3 stars…until the last page. The series began as an “alien invasion” story. Somehow, it evolved into a simple human against human…freedom against authoritarianism… story. Which really isn’t that interesting. However, the last page changed my mind because of the implications of how the first few books may effect human civilization in this universe.
My review of this book was going to be 3 stars…until the last page. The series began as an “alien invasion” story. Somehow, it evolved into a simple human against human…freedom against authoritarianism… story. Which really isn’t that interesting. However, the last page changed my mind because of the implications of how the first few books may effect human civilization in this universe.
March 22, 2022
I really enjoyed returning to these characters, but I simply can’t rate the latest novel 5 stars with the careless editing on display. Too many times characters referred to things that hadn’t yet occurred, only for those incidents to be described a few pages later. And Dalzelle is simply terrible at mystery, as he insists on the most ridiculous levels of foreshadowing that strip the reader of any possible surprise.
July 12, 2025
No Quarter Given!
Mr Dalzelle is an Excellent writer and an even Better story teller. He gets into the minds of his readers and makes them believe at one point or another that they were there, not just observing an incident but actually feeling the gut reactions their favorite characters are feeling as they fight to stay alive yet another day. He's just good at what he does and he should be proud.
Mr Dalzelle is an Excellent writer and an even Better story teller. He gets into the minds of his readers and makes them believe at one point or another that they were there, not just observing an incident but actually feeling the gut reactions their favorite characters are feeling as they fight to stay alive yet another day. He's just good at what he does and he should be proud.
May 24, 2021
Best 1 yet!
Outstanding book, truly his.beat yet. It is like the opposite of the Ark Royal series... Ark Royal started awesome and slowly became mediocre. Josh has taken a mediocre book series and made it truly intellectually interesting and one of the best sci interstellar war reads out there! Great work Josh!
Outstanding book, truly his.beat yet. It is like the opposite of the Ark Royal series... Ark Royal started awesome and slowly became mediocre. Josh has taken a mediocre book series and made it truly intellectually interesting and one of the best sci interstellar war reads out there! Great work Josh!
June 15, 2021
I really enjoy these series!! Joshua does a great job at setting the atmosphere and playing a space war game. What made this book better than the last one was Adrmial Wolfe played an Admrial. The last book he felt like he was still a captain of his ship with a star. In this book you see him actually manage the ships.
October 3, 2021
A good middle book
The story is progressing, the battles becoming more critical, Wolf becoming more human
Just when you think all is lost, no it's not and then it might be a fair. A few twists and turns in this volume, more intrigue, more spy stuff, but still a lot of the usual Wolf turmoil and battles
The story is progressing, the battles becoming more critical, Wolf becoming more human
Just when you think all is lost, no it's not and then it might be a fair. A few twists and turns in this volume, more intrigue, more spy stuff, but still a lot of the usual Wolf turmoil and battles
November 6, 2021
What a ride!
This part of the series was definitely a page turner. There were infuriating moments and some that were satisfying, but there were enough surprises to keep me wondering what the devil was going to happen next. And that was right up to the last page! I am ready for Book 3!
This part of the series was definitely a page turner. There were infuriating moments and some that were satisfying, but there were enough surprises to keep me wondering what the devil was going to happen next. And that was right up to the last page! I am ready for Book 3!
May 19, 2025
An excellent continuation of the battle between the Alliance and the Federation, especially between the Alliance's Admiral Kohl and the Federation's hero, Admiral Wolfe. After Admiral Kohl rains death and destruction on an unimaginable scale, it is up to Admiral Wolfe to defend the Federation. Battles ensue, and we learn more about the Alliance cabal driving the fighting. A worthy read.
May 2, 2021
Excellent and intense
Hard to put down. I will anxiously wait for book 3, Empire, to see the conclusion of the series. It is well written and well thought out with good character development and intense plot.
Hard to put down. I will anxiously wait for book 3, Empire, to see the conclusion of the series. It is well written and well thought out with good character development and intense plot.
May 8, 2021
Admiral Jackson Wolfe returns to hunt down Admiral Vadim Kohl, as the Alliance steps up the attacks on the Federation. Another good tactical book, as Wolfe tries again to turn a disaster into a victory, setup nicely for the final chapter.
May 9, 2021
Excellent, really enjoyed this. The story and plot kept evolving and moving on changing what could have been a run of the mill story. Noted some typos in the KU ebook but nothing effecting the enjoyment.
May 22, 2021
I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed Jackson Wolfe and his crew it had been so long since the last installment. If you like real good Navy type SciFi you will enjoy this series. I'm all in on the characters and the action is realistic. Keep it up Joshua please!
June 13, 2021
Another great page turner!
Terse, Fast moving action as always. Twists, turns, surprises. Like the Seabees, the difficult gets done right away, impossible takes a bit longer. Can’t wait for next one.
Terse, Fast moving action as always. Twists, turns, surprises. Like the Seabees, the difficult gets done right away, impossible takes a bit longer. Can’t wait for next one.
June 17, 2021
Can’t get enough
The author needs to write faster. More. Now.
What a great read. Full of treason and plots and weird alien technology made human. Things coming full circle (Hint: think Phage). That was misleading. Sort of.
The author needs to write faster. More. Now.
What a great read. Full of treason and plots and weird alien technology made human. Things coming full circle (Hint: think Phage). That was misleading. Sort of.
January 1, 2022
Regular space opera... Good.
Good quality. Involving characterisation, Allen AI, warp drive. Unsure about the validity of social structures ,perhaps the American perspective too visible
Good quality. Involving characterisation, Allen AI, warp drive. Unsure about the validity of social structures ,perhaps the American perspective too visible
September 19, 2022
Worlds Wars!
Intergalactic action and science fiction at it’s best!Characters and plot twists,breathtaking story lines, to entertain adventure junkies!More,please!Dalzelle is truly amazing!
Intergalactic action and science fiction at it’s best!Characters and plot twists,breathtaking story lines, to entertain adventure junkies!More,please!Dalzelle is truly amazing!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews