What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lost Fleet: Outlands #2
Resolute
Admiral John "Black Jack" Geary must battle dangers both within and without the Alliance, in this exciting continuation of the New York Times bestselling series.
Geary knows that some political factions in the Alliance were just trying to get rid of him when he was assigned to escort a diplomatic and scientific mission to the far reaches of humanity's expansion into the galaxy . . . and beyond. But he views his mission as both a duty and an opportunity to make things better wherever he can. And when a crippled Rift Federation ship tumbles out of jump space, Geary leaps into action. But the survivors' story isn't completely adding up.
As Geary investigates, he soon finds himself fending off spies and assassins while leading the fleet as it fights its way across space controlled by the mysterious and hostile aliens whom humans call enigmas. Challenges arrive at every turn, including an unknown alien species that invites the fleet to visit one of their star systems. With little information to go on, Geary must weigh the benefits of potential new allies against the possibility of a trap. The fate of the fleet--and perhaps even the future of humanity--will depend on him making the right decision.
If he can stay alive long enough to do that.
Geary knows that some political factions in the Alliance were just trying to get rid of him when he was assigned to escort a diplomatic and scientific mission to the far reaches of humanity's expansion into the galaxy . . . and beyond. But he views his mission as both a duty and an opportunity to make things better wherever he can. And when a crippled Rift Federation ship tumbles out of jump space, Geary leaps into action. But the survivors' story isn't completely adding up.
As Geary investigates, he soon finds himself fending off spies and assassins while leading the fleet as it fights its way across space controlled by the mysterious and hostile aliens whom humans call enigmas. Challenges arrive at every turn, including an unknown alien species that invites the fleet to visit one of their star systems. With little information to go on, Geary must weigh the benefits of potential new allies against the possibility of a trap. The fate of the fleet--and perhaps even the future of humanity--will depend on him making the right decision.
If he can stay alive long enough to do that.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2022
152 people are currently reading
767 people want to read
About the author
Jack Campbell
115 books3,031 followersJack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
September 20, 2022
I am a big fan of Jack Campbell and his Lost Fleet Series. He is a master storyteller. In this book Admiral “Black Jack” Geary is facing a possible trap or war with an alien race while a mutiny /sabotage is being carried out by some officers and enlisted personnel. The book is loaded with action, suspense and some pearls of wisdom. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and thirty-nine minutes. Christian Rummel does an excellent job narrating this series.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and thirty-nine minutes. Christian Rummel does an excellent job narrating this series.
June 5, 2025
2.6⭐
This one barely made 3 stars.
I very much enjoy the world of "Black Jack" Geary and his no-longer-Lost Fleet but this installment of the series just didn't seem like value for money.
Black Jack returns to the space occupied by the Dancers, the mysterious aliens who seem to be humanity's only friends. His mission, to establish formal relations, is beset by threats external and internal ( of course).
My main problem with this book is mostly that, after 20 plus novels, graphic novels and stories in six series , we've seen it all before. It's also heavily padded with dead end plot twists, repetitious exposition and clunky, boring dialog.
This book did feature a heroic duck, though. I liked the duck.
I also still like many of the characters and most of the action sequences.
This is also clearly a middle book of this (Lost Fleet-Outlands) series and it's often challenging to maintain the momentum of the early and final novels. Here's hoping that as the series winds down it gets more interesting.
2025 reread - I stand by what I wrote before.It's weaker than many of the other books in the series but readable. I still like the duck.
This one barely made 3 stars.
I very much enjoy the world of "Black Jack" Geary and his no-longer-Lost Fleet but this installment of the series just didn't seem like value for money.
Black Jack returns to the space occupied by the Dancers, the mysterious aliens who seem to be humanity's only friends. His mission, to establish formal relations, is beset by threats external and internal ( of course).
My main problem with this book is mostly that, after 20 plus novels, graphic novels and stories in six series , we've seen it all before. It's also heavily padded with dead end plot twists, repetitious exposition and clunky, boring dialog.
This book did feature a heroic duck, though. I liked the duck.
I also still like many of the characters and most of the action sequences.
This is also clearly a middle book of this (Lost Fleet-Outlands) series and it's often challenging to maintain the momentum of the early and final novels. Here's hoping that as the series winds down it gets more interesting.
2025 reread - I stand by what I wrote before.It's weaker than many of the other books in the series but readable. I still like the duck.
February 17, 2023
Book Two in the Outlands series, so that would make this number thirteen in the entire Lost Fleet universe.
Admiral Geary is attempting to carry out his latest assignment. He is sent to Dancer space with orders to solidify peaceful relations between these aliens and the Alliance.
The plot to this book was as thick as pea soup. Every character seems to be motivated by an individual agenda. Except for Ensign Duck...good old altruistic Ensign Duck 😁. But because of all of these conflicting motives, things became quite chaotic. The cast included condescending dictatorial scientists, gullible crewmembers, a new diplomatic team, assassins, traitors sprouting up like mushrooms, disloyal battleship commanders, scary secretive special forces, bored Marines getting into trouble, ...and more. Lotsa factions.
There are two downsides. First, one of the major plot threads wrapped up too neatly and at warp speed. The other bummer is that I'm caught up with every book in the Lost Fleet series. Now I have to wait until the next is published in July!
Admiral Geary is attempting to carry out his latest assignment. He is sent to Dancer space with orders to solidify peaceful relations between these aliens and the Alliance.
The plot to this book was as thick as pea soup. Every character seems to be motivated by an individual agenda. Except for Ensign Duck...good old altruistic Ensign Duck 😁. But because of all of these conflicting motives, things became quite chaotic. The cast included condescending dictatorial scientists, gullible crewmembers, a new diplomatic team, assassins, traitors sprouting up like mushrooms, disloyal battleship commanders, scary secretive special forces, bored Marines getting into trouble, ...and more. Lotsa factions.
There are two downsides. First, one of the major plot threads wrapped up too neatly and at warp speed. The other bummer is that I'm caught up with every book in the Lost Fleet series. Now I have to wait until the next is published in July!
July 6, 2022
Long live ensign Duck :) The rest of the book is the usual for the series. Still fun and recommended.
Cheers.
Cheers.
October 29, 2025
Sometimes I hear people complain about "second book syndrome" for trilogies specifically, where it feels like an author is just padding a wordcount to turn out a book before resolving the larger story they actually want to tell in the third entry. At least in my eyes, that definitely wasn't the case here.
We're still working towards making progress on the bigger, overall mission these characters are setting out to accomplish, but damned if there aren't complications out the wazoo. Imagine you're trying to hash out a deal with a client over the phone who just barely speaks your language, but you keep having to put them on hold because your coworkers are actively trying to kill you. That's basically what Admiral Geary is going through in this installment.
And as if trying to suss out who is and who isn't going to stage a mutiny against you wasn't enough, they also make first contact again with a different alien race that the first bunch of aliens react to with a collective sigh, as if to say, "Oh great, they're here..." What initially feels like a diversion just for its own sake eventually becomes relevant and pushes to main narrative along in an interesting way, culminating in another (but unique) capital ship space battle). Our protagonist is continuously coming out of increasingly difficult challenges on top though, and I wonder if that luck will eventually run out.
Consider me invested; too late to not see series this through now.
We're still working towards making progress on the bigger, overall mission these characters are setting out to accomplish, but damned if there aren't complications out the wazoo. Imagine you're trying to hash out a deal with a client over the phone who just barely speaks your language, but you keep having to put them on hold because your coworkers are actively trying to kill you. That's basically what Admiral Geary is going through in this installment.
And as if trying to suss out who is and who isn't going to stage a mutiny against you wasn't enough, they also make first contact again with a different alien race that the first bunch of aliens react to with a collective sigh, as if to say, "Oh great, they're here..." What initially feels like a diversion just for its own sake eventually becomes relevant and pushes to main narrative along in an interesting way, culminating in another (but unique) capital ship space battle). Our protagonist is continuously coming out of increasingly difficult challenges on top though, and I wonder if that luck will eventually run out.
Consider me invested; too late to not see series this through now.
July 14, 2022
By far my favorite sci food author!
Captivating series.
Captivating series.
July 15, 2022
More Black Jack Geary. I have loved this series and enjoyed this book. But as a member of the series, it had some of the same tropes in other books. It felt like too much of the story was taken up with internal intrigue and less real space opera action, although there is some of that as well. Perhaps the series is getting a bit long in the tooth as there was nothing wrong with the story other than we have been here before.
On the positive, we are now set up for a further and likely more dynamic storyline in the next book. Also, I enjoy the stalwart, honest to a T, humble Black Jack as the main character as compared to some of the other books.
I have read all the novels in this universe to date, and expect to continue.
On the positive, we are now set up for a further and likely more dynamic storyline in the next book. Also, I enjoy the stalwart, honest to a T, humble Black Jack as the main character as compared to some of the other books.
I have read all the novels in this universe to date, and expect to continue.
July 22, 2023
Resolute: The Lost Fleet Outlands by Jack Cambell is the second book in the Outlands series which in turn is part of the massive Lost Fleet series.
In this one, Admiral John "Black Jack" Geary is on a mission to take a diplomatic mission safely to "Dancer" space in an attempt to open permanent relations with the, so far, friendly Dancers. In order to accomplish this he will need to safely cross the space of the decidedly unfriendly Enigmas.
He also discovers that there are elements in his own fleet bent on disrupting his critical mission.
Throw in that upon arrival his fleet encounters another group of previously unknown aliens and Black Jack's mission will push his ingenuity to new levels.
This book is great military science fiction and a great addition to this series.
In this one, Admiral John "Black Jack" Geary is on a mission to take a diplomatic mission safely to "Dancer" space in an attempt to open permanent relations with the, so far, friendly Dancers. In order to accomplish this he will need to safely cross the space of the decidedly unfriendly Enigmas.
He also discovers that there are elements in his own fleet bent on disrupting his critical mission.
Throw in that upon arrival his fleet encounters another group of previously unknown aliens and Black Jack's mission will push his ingenuity to new levels.
This book is great military science fiction and a great addition to this series.
June 5, 2024
By this point either you like this or you don’t. Personally, I like it.
People trying to do their best in an imperfect world? A world with cheats and dishonesty and corruption, but also people who aren’t, and those are the people we prefer to hang with? I’m here for it.
People trying to do their best in an imperfect world? A world with cheats and dishonesty and corruption, but also people who aren’t, and those are the people we prefer to hang with? I’m here for it.
December 13, 2025
Series just keeps getting better
This series just keeps getting better. The introduction of the alien series has been one of the best developments in this series, and it's really spread the scope of the world from the known human space into the rest of the galaxy. Can't wait to read the continuing adventures of Black Jack.,,
This series just keeps getting better. The introduction of the alien series has been one of the best developments in this series, and it's really spread the scope of the world from the known human space into the rest of the galaxy. Can't wait to read the continuing adventures of Black Jack.,,
October 6, 2022
Finally, best entry in the series, imo. With the revelations at the end, in very eager to see where the story goes from here.
February 22, 2025
Although no one in this universe seems to know the differences between hypothesis and theory despite discovering interstellar travel, these books are the equivalent of comfort food for me. Enjoyable but not necessarily great.
July 19, 2022
No matter how many books I've read in the Geary series, I still can't wait for the next one.
August 23, 2022
I am a fan of the Lost Fleet series and I think only a fan would enjoy a book this far along in the story.
This book involves a visit to the Wolf-Spider race. Along the way is Geary family angst... some family secret involved. The secret is revealed in this book, but there may be other secrets.
Attempted assassinations and space battles are to be expected... and an alien test of Geary's character.
I might read this book again.
This book involves a visit to the Wolf-Spider race. Along the way is Geary family angst... some family secret involved. The secret is revealed in this book, but there may be other secrets.
Attempted assassinations and space battles are to be expected... and an alien test of Geary's character.
I might read this book again.
July 30, 2022
Quite frankly, tedious, with only one section of the book, near the end, getting the blood pumping.
July 2, 2022
good but not particularly consequential?
While I still very much enjoy the pros of these books as well as most of the characters the pace and the events of this particular book felt off to me.
It is possible that I wanted more action, more space battles but I do not believe that to be the case. I think this is more about minuscule steps in the overall story progression. I did not feel like I got a book’s worth of plot here.
I will continue following this series but there will be less anticipation for the next one.
While I still very much enjoy the pros of these books as well as most of the characters the pace and the events of this particular book felt off to me.
It is possible that I wanted more action, more space battles but I do not believe that to be the case. I think this is more about minuscule steps in the overall story progression. I did not feel like I got a book’s worth of plot here.
I will continue following this series but there will be less anticipation for the next one.
August 16, 2022
Love all the Blackjack series’s books. This one started strong but the ending left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. I know it’s a good setup for another book but the ending felt like it was a fast wrap instead of how the other books had a more detailed ending. Overall I still really enjoyed this book.
July 5, 2022
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I LOVE this world and these characters so much. They have survived a lot and struggled and lost close friends and family. There have been traitors and devious politicians and those who just want power for themselves. Throughout it all, they have worked hard and with intelligence and compassion. They have character strength to look closely at the situation with trying to help others and improve relationships.
The smart strategy of the battles always thrills me. The situations are life and death but Geary and his team remain calm and controlled. Geary's dislike of politics provides comic relief. I also have the advantage of having read all the books in all these series so with the history just a mention of a character brings to mind their humorous antics or strength or troubles from past books. So I would read these in order even though there are many books now.
Resolute is the second in the new Outlands series which is the farthest into the future of the Lost Fleet world. I am thrilled to have the story continue and see my many beloved characters. Geary's fleet is out on a diplomatic mission to form relations with the Dancers. The politicians want Geary out of the way as he is too popular with the people and there are assassination attempts as well. The Midway system wants in on the negotiation and sends a team along.
There are battles with the Enigmas on the way there and a gamble on forming better relationships with them. The Dancers seem surprised to see them unannounced and take time to come up with a "plan". While they are waiting for the Dancers to progress communication with them, another alien species comes into the star system. The Fleet sends a friendly message but gets no response. Eventually, they learn the new people are the Taon.
The rest of the story is the incredible development of relations with the Taon, the Dancers and a political conspiracy. It's exciting and fun. I also admire these people so highly for their skills at dealing with life and death, and developing these relations. I highly recommend all these series in this world.
Narration:
I'm so comfortable with Christian Rummel. Since this is one of the first series I listened to on audio, he was one of the first narrators. He is a favorite. The voices are differentiated enough I recognize the different people. The narration adds greatly to my enjoyment; I don't have to figure out how to pronounce anything! I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you have enjoyed Jack Campbell's other series, Lost Fleet and Beyond the Frontier, and Lost Stars, Genesis Fleet series, you will love this too. I started reading Jack Campbell in 2015 when I was sent an ARC of one of the Leviathon, which was the final book in the Beyond the Frontier series. Of course with my OCD, I had to read the previous NINE books before I could read it. I was in the middle of moving from Minnesota to North Carolina, so I got the audio CDs from the library. And thus, my love affair with this world began.
I LOVE this world and these characters so much. They have survived a lot and struggled and lost close friends and family. There have been traitors and devious politicians and those who just want power for themselves. Throughout it all, they have worked hard and with intelligence and compassion. They have character strength to look closely at the situation with trying to help others and improve relationships.
The smart strategy of the battles always thrills me. The situations are life and death but Geary and his team remain calm and controlled. Geary's dislike of politics provides comic relief. I also have the advantage of having read all the books in all these series so with the history just a mention of a character brings to mind their humorous antics or strength or troubles from past books. So I would read these in order even though there are many books now.
Resolute is the second in the new Outlands series which is the farthest into the future of the Lost Fleet world. I am thrilled to have the story continue and see my many beloved characters. Geary's fleet is out on a diplomatic mission to form relations with the Dancers. The politicians want Geary out of the way as he is too popular with the people and there are assassination attempts as well. The Midway system wants in on the negotiation and sends a team along.
There are battles with the Enigmas on the way there and a gamble on forming better relationships with them. The Dancers seem surprised to see them unannounced and take time to come up with a "plan". While they are waiting for the Dancers to progress communication with them, another alien species comes into the star system. The Fleet sends a friendly message but gets no response. Eventually, they learn the new people are the Taon.
The rest of the story is the incredible development of relations with the Taon, the Dancers and a political conspiracy. It's exciting and fun. I also admire these people so highly for their skills at dealing with life and death, and developing these relations. I highly recommend all these series in this world.
Narration:
I'm so comfortable with Christian Rummel. Since this is one of the first series I listened to on audio, he was one of the first narrators. He is a favorite. The voices are differentiated enough I recognize the different people. The narration adds greatly to my enjoyment; I don't have to figure out how to pronounce anything! I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
July 5, 2022
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I LOVE this world and these characters so much. They have survived a lot and struggled and lost close friends and family. There have been traitors and devious politicians and those who just want power for themselves. Throughout it all, they have worked hard and with intelligence and compassion. They have character strength to look closely at the situation with trying to help others and improve relationships.
The smart strategy of the battles always thrills me. The situations are life and death but Geary and his team remain calm and controlled. Geary's dislike of politics provides comic relief. I also have the advantage of having read all the books in all these series so with the history just a mention of a character brings to mind their humorous antics or strength or troubles from past books. So I would read these in order even though there are many books now.
Resolute is the second in the new Outlands series which is the farthest into the future of the Lost Fleet world. I am thrilled to have the story continue and see my many beloved characters. Geary's fleet is out on a diplomatic mission to form relations with the Dancers. The politicians want Geary out of the way as he is too popular with the people and there are assassination attempts as well. The Midway system wants in on the negotiation and sends a team along.
There are battles with the Enigmas on the way there and a gamble on forming better relationships with them. The Dancers seem surprised to see them unannounced and take time to come up with a "plan". While they are waiting for the Dancers to progress communication with them, another alien species comes into the star system. The Fleet sends a friendly message but gets no response. Eventually, they learn the new people are the Taon.
The rest of the story is the incredible development of relations with the Taon, the Dancers and a political conspiracy. It's exciting and fun. I also admire these people so highly for their skills at dealing with life and death, and developing these relations. I highly recommend all these series in this world.
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you have enjoyed Jack Campbell's other series, Lost Fleet and Beyond the Frontier, and Lost Stars, Genesis Fleet series, you will love this too. I started reading Jack Campbell in 2015 when I was sent an ARC of one of the Leviathon, which was the final book in the Beyond the Frontier series. Of course with my OCD, I had to read the previous NINE books before I could read it. I was in the middle of moving from Minnesota to North Carolina, so I got the audio CDs from the library. And thus, my love affair with this world began.
I LOVE this world and these characters so much. They have survived a lot and struggled and lost close friends and family. There have been traitors and devious politicians and those who just want power for themselves. Throughout it all, they have worked hard and with intelligence and compassion. They have character strength to look closely at the situation with trying to help others and improve relationships.
The smart strategy of the battles always thrills me. The situations are life and death but Geary and his team remain calm and controlled. Geary's dislike of politics provides comic relief. I also have the advantage of having read all the books in all these series so with the history just a mention of a character brings to mind their humorous antics or strength or troubles from past books. So I would read these in order even though there are many books now.
Resolute is the second in the new Outlands series which is the farthest into the future of the Lost Fleet world. I am thrilled to have the story continue and see my many beloved characters. Geary's fleet is out on a diplomatic mission to form relations with the Dancers. The politicians want Geary out of the way as he is too popular with the people and there are assassination attempts as well. The Midway system wants in on the negotiation and sends a team along.
There are battles with the Enigmas on the way there and a gamble on forming better relationships with them. The Dancers seem surprised to see them unannounced and take time to come up with a "plan". While they are waiting for the Dancers to progress communication with them, another alien species comes into the star system. The Fleet sends a friendly message but gets no response. Eventually, they learn the new people are the Taon.
The rest of the story is the incredible development of relations with the Taon, the Dancers and a political conspiracy. It's exciting and fun. I also admire these people so highly for their skills at dealing with life and death, and developing these relations. I highly recommend all these series in this world.
July 26, 2022
It's rather strange to think that here we are 13 books into the Lost Fleet series (not counting the Lost Stars and Genesis Fleet books (including those, he's up to 20! I still remember reading a mass-market paperback copy of Dauntless while waiting for a plane to DC back in '06... how time flies!)) and honestly, I think this may be the best book in the series yet. The basic premise is that Admiral Geary and the Alliance Fleet have been sent to escort humanity's first embassy to the "Dancers," one of three alien species that Geary and his fleet encountered in a previous exploratory effort, and the only one to have not been murderously xenophobic (although they do look like spider-wolves, but nobody's perfect). Of course, there's several problems involved in this. First, going back to Dancer Space means crossing the territory of one of the aforementioned murderously xenophobic aliens, the obsessively private "Enigmas". The second problem is that there are factions in the fleet who aren't necessarily eager to see the mission succeed. Some of this is that because with the war over between the Alliance and the Syndicate (at least for now), many Alliance politicians would like to see Geary fail just to reduce his popularity and influence. Likewise, there are factions who view the Dancers as an existential threat (or that they're just plain too ugly to be anything other than evil monsters from beyond). As if that wasn't enough, the Fleet doesn't just represent the Alliance as there are political representatives from several other friendly powers along for the ride with agendas of their own. Then there's the fact that the Dancers aren't expecting them and it's not clear how they will be greeted upon their arrival. Basically, there's a lot of problems and very few of them are the sort of things that can be solved with superior tactics and firepower (there's still SOME of that, which is good as Campbell is probably the best author I know for writing believable large space fleet battles (Weber's better for smaller space battles (where individual ship maneuvers are a bigger deal), but I feel Campbell has a much more intuitive grasp of the flow of what a large space fleet battle would be like)), which means that Admiral Geary and his officers (and allies) have to think and guess their way through a very intriguing knot of conspiracies and communications issues.
July 31, 2023
When I need a pick me up, Black Jack John Geary is there to help me out. Finally somewhat free from political machinations, Admiral Gearys orders are deceptively simple. Take the fleet. Cross hostile space. Meet up with aliens. Open negotiations.
Yet all is not well in Alliance and Fleet controlled space. Sinister and dangerous machinations are underway, from assasination attempts, to diplomacy, to witch hunts and political persecution, to a duck being promoted to Naval Ensign in pure Naval fashion. How can Admiral Geary protect his loved ones, his growing family and the Fleet he is sworn to protect?
After crossing " Enigma" space, the fleet arrives in "Dancer" controlled space. Yet a *fourth* non human intelligence joins them, the Taon. Are the friends? Foes? Humanities testers? A convinient plot hole to get Geary out of the system? Well we know how that works.
What I really like about this series, is the optimism. Yes. We are potentially surrounded by enemies. Yes. We want to kill each other for no reason. Yes. Our hero is constantly in danger. But through it all, se of Campbell's best writing is on ehat makes us human. You can tell he wants to believe in the best of us. All too often that is going contrary to our instincts. One of the best scenes is when two seperate factions of doctors argue over the proper procedure for a captured non human combatant. The description of the subsequent desire to care for the remains in a way that honors what they knew of the aliens really made me feel connected.
Ultimately this book suffers the same issue as others, namely " we escape danger again. And again. And again." But, for the true idea of what space travel and warfare would look like, this series is it.
Yet all is not well in Alliance and Fleet controlled space. Sinister and dangerous machinations are underway, from assasination attempts, to diplomacy, to witch hunts and political persecution, to a duck being promoted to Naval Ensign in pure Naval fashion. How can Admiral Geary protect his loved ones, his growing family and the Fleet he is sworn to protect?
After crossing " Enigma" space, the fleet arrives in "Dancer" controlled space. Yet a *fourth* non human intelligence joins them, the Taon. Are the friends? Foes? Humanities testers? A convinient plot hole to get Geary out of the system? Well we know how that works.
What I really like about this series, is the optimism. Yes. We are potentially surrounded by enemies. Yes. We want to kill each other for no reason. Yes. Our hero is constantly in danger. But through it all, se of Campbell's best writing is on ehat makes us human. You can tell he wants to believe in the best of us. All too often that is going contrary to our instincts. One of the best scenes is when two seperate factions of doctors argue over the proper procedure for a captured non human combatant. The description of the subsequent desire to care for the remains in a way that honors what they knew of the aliens really made me feel connected.
Ultimately this book suffers the same issue as others, namely " we escape danger again. And again. And again." But, for the true idea of what space travel and warfare would look like, this series is it.
June 30, 2024
Entry number 2 (of 3) in Jack Campbell's 'The Lost Fleet: Outlands' series, which itself is a follow-up to both 'The Lost Fleet' series (consisting of 6 entries) and 'The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier2 (a further five) and even 'The Lost Stars' series (a further 4).
So maybe not the best jumping-on point for any newcomers.
Although, having said that, I do feel that enough background was given.
Anyway, this still follows (as did both 'The Lost Fleet' and 'The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier') 'Black Jack' Geary, rescued and awoken from hypersleep a century after the outbreak of war between The Alliance and The Syndicate Worlds and now, having brought about an end to that war and the fall of The Syndicate Worlds (some of which are in 'The Lost Stars' series) is heading a diplomatic mission into deep space and (uninvited) into the realm of the mysterious Dancers, but who has to contend with both political and military attempts at sabotage along the way.
As before, I did enjoy the read, and am looking forward to the next - and, I believe, final - entry in the series.
So maybe not the best jumping-on point for any newcomers.
Although, having said that, I do feel that enough background was given.
Anyway, this still follows (as did both 'The Lost Fleet' and 'The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier') 'Black Jack' Geary, rescued and awoken from hypersleep a century after the outbreak of war between The Alliance and The Syndicate Worlds and now, having brought about an end to that war and the fall of The Syndicate Worlds (some of which are in 'The Lost Stars' series) is heading a diplomatic mission into deep space and (uninvited) into the realm of the mysterious Dancers, but who has to contend with both political and military attempts at sabotage along the way.
As before, I did enjoy the read, and am looking forward to the next - and, I believe, final - entry in the series.
August 30, 2023
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
I am still a fan of the series and greatly enjoy every new entry. This is a family book that we enjoy listening to on Audiobook for long car trips to the Summer cabin or when travelling overseas.Story: Gear has been sent to the far side of space to babysit on a diplomatic mission. The head diplomat is wary of Geary trying to strong arm control and so he has to coddle her while also ensuring that sound decisions are made along the way. But when a human ship shows up from an impossible origin, Geary is going to have to deal with a crew that are not right in the head and may endanger the fragile peace he is trying to broker with the aliens.
In all, plenty of action, the usual political and human musings, Geary's angst about not understanding women, and space battles ensue!
July 29, 2025
The second of what is a three part story. Mission 1 is accomplished (and if military logic is followed a courier should depart for Fleet Headquarters and the new mutual defence partnership should be put into place with a regular courier network and stationing of fleet units within the system. 9the pattern here really ought to be repeated elsewhere within Alliance space, as the surest strategy for long term peace is to stop the Alliance reforming by supporting its fragmentation via trade and mutual defence).
Part two should start with the the fleet moving to its end goal, the home space of the "Dancers" via Enigma space.
In terms of plot progression rather little happens in this book. They make it to Dancer Space. wait around, speculate a lot, learn a few things, head to a more important Dancer system, have a little side missions, and speculate a lot. Interesting and enjoyable to read, opens up a few doors for the future but not really very important to the overall narrative.
Part two should start with the the fleet moving to its end goal, the home space of the "Dancers" via Enigma space.
In terms of plot progression rather little happens in this book. They make it to Dancer Space. wait around, speculate a lot, learn a few things, head to a more important Dancer system, have a little side missions, and speculate a lot. Interesting and enjoyable to read, opens up a few doors for the future but not really very important to the overall narrative.
August 25, 2022
Jack Campbell is back on track with this new installment in the Lost Fleet series. The universe continues to expand as we meet new aliens, learn more about them and the different factions, and deal with new threats. This has really helped open up the series and given it legs beyond the first series’ simple “space war” theme.
One of the strengths of the new direction this series has taken is that it isn’t just about space battles any more. Rather than just going from one fight to another, we’re getting a lot more character development and more subtle themes and conflicts going on. Gradually unraveling the mysteries of new alien species, dealing with threats from spies and dissidents within the Alliance, and navigating diplomacy and chains of command are all helping to make the series more sophisticated and interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing where Black Jack takes us next.
One of the strengths of the new direction this series has taken is that it isn’t just about space battles any more. Rather than just going from one fight to another, we’re getting a lot more character development and more subtle themes and conflicts going on. Gradually unraveling the mysteries of new alien species, dealing with threats from spies and dissidents within the Alliance, and navigating diplomacy and chains of command are all helping to make the series more sophisticated and interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing where Black Jack takes us next.
April 15, 2024
Lu en anglais.
John "Black Jack" Geary continue sa mission d'accompagner, avec sa flotte, un groupe de diplomates dans le but de communiquer avec les Danseurs, une race extraterrestre qui parait amicale. Mais, tout d'abord, il doit traverser le territoire des Énigmas, des extraterrestres fuyants et agressifs.
Un roman que j'ai trouvé plus intéressant que le précédent de la série. Des extraterrestres énigmatiques, sans compter les problèmes de communication adjacents, des vaisseaux spatiaux en pagaille et ... des batailles spatiales. Et c'est sans compter l'infiltration dans la flotte d'ennemis qui cherchent à faire déraper la mission...et à éliminer Black Jack. Un roman qui sait entretenir la tension; on a hâte de lire les pages suivantes.
J'ai beaucoup aimé, mais il va me falloir attendre, pour continuer, la parution du livre suivant.
John "Black Jack" Geary continue sa mission d'accompagner, avec sa flotte, un groupe de diplomates dans le but de communiquer avec les Danseurs, une race extraterrestre qui parait amicale. Mais, tout d'abord, il doit traverser le territoire des Énigmas, des extraterrestres fuyants et agressifs.
Un roman que j'ai trouvé plus intéressant que le précédent de la série. Des extraterrestres énigmatiques, sans compter les problèmes de communication adjacents, des vaisseaux spatiaux en pagaille et ... des batailles spatiales. Et c'est sans compter l'infiltration dans la flotte d'ennemis qui cherchent à faire déraper la mission...et à éliminer Black Jack. Un roman qui sait entretenir la tension; on a hâte de lire les pages suivantes.
J'ai beaucoup aimé, mais il va me falloir attendre, pour continuer, la parution du livre suivant.
June 30, 2022
Well thought out continuation of the first LF Outlands book. In the first book, the author had to do alot of setup for this new series, connecting the dots and transitioning to this new arc. In this novel, he takes it to a whole new level while involving many of the characters he has cultivated over the years. My favorite aspect of this book is the deeper behavioral analysis of extraterrestrials, their cultures and motivations which was present, but not as prevalent in the other novels. And while the book does have its share of space battles, its also part scientist and spy. I think it had just enough balance as well, never over doing it in one area. And the ending makes me believe we're in store for a lot more from this series. Can't wait.
October 6, 2022
This latest volume in the on-going Lost Fleet universe continues the story of the Alliance fleet travelling to try and establish diplomatic relations with the ‘Dancer’ aliens. It’s another solid story that manages to stay reasonably fresh…just. The alien angle has breathed new life into the Lost Fleet world, but I do find myself wondering how much longer Campbell (aka Hemry) can keep things new. There is one slightly odd part of the book’s structure in that there is a conspiracy within the fleet brewing throughout the book, but the final denouement of this thread eventually happens off screen whilst Geary, the single POV of the narrative, is elsewhere. It wasn’t a problem but just seemed like an odd decision by the author. Nonetheless it’s another good solid instalment in this series.
December 18, 2022
Admiral John Geary has been sent on a diplomatic mission to a species that remains guarded in their interactions with humans, but the dangers Geary faces are not just in the vastness of space - some of them are on his very own ships. His enemies want him to fail. His death is one way to achieve that. But he isn't called Black Jack for nothing.
I know what I'm getting when I pick up a Geary book - and that's exactly what I got. For the most part. Other books in this universe have dragged at times, but Resolute seemed to last an eternity. Frankly, this was a slog. A lot of the story seemed to be taken up with repetitive intrigue and the more interesting stuff was crammed into the last couple of chapters. This all said, Ensign Duck is freaking awesome.
I know what I'm getting when I pick up a Geary book - and that's exactly what I got. For the most part. Other books in this universe have dragged at times, but Resolute seemed to last an eternity. Frankly, this was a slog. A lot of the story seemed to be taken up with repetitive intrigue and the more interesting stuff was crammed into the last couple of chapters. This all said, Ensign Duck is freaking awesome.
August 12, 2023
An Excellent example of Naval Space Adventure
Admiral Jack Geary is in charge of a large flotilla of Alliance Naval Space Ships, their mission, is escort duty to the proposed ambassador of the alien race, the humans call the Dancers. They need to cross territories controlled by a hostile, alien race they call the Enigmas.
They encounter the loan surviving ship of a previous attempt to reach Dancer territory and also have to engage the Enigmas in battle.
Once in Dancer space they have to apologise for arriving without invitation and await through long delays for acceptance of their mission. Their plans are constantly under threat by internal espionage, power struggles and assassination attempts as well as encountering yet another alien race.
Admiral Jack Geary is in charge of a large flotilla of Alliance Naval Space Ships, their mission, is escort duty to the proposed ambassador of the alien race, the humans call the Dancers. They need to cross territories controlled by a hostile, alien race they call the Enigmas.
They encounter the loan surviving ship of a previous attempt to reach Dancer territory and also have to engage the Enigmas in battle.
Once in Dancer space they have to apologise for arriving without invitation and await through long delays for acceptance of their mission. Their plans are constantly under threat by internal espionage, power struggles and assassination attempts as well as encountering yet another alien race.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews