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Grimm's War #4
A Grimm Sacrifice
In order to survive, Interceptor must change the rules.
The Consortium is in real trouble. Caliphate Naval forces have stepped up their raids on the border planets and are taking people by the thousands. They can defend the wormhole, or they can defend their planets, not both.
Only the Alliance can help them, but will they?
With the cold war heating up, the Alliance is forced to send light units to help. Lucky for them, the squadron of destroyers they free up includes Commander Jacob T. Grimm.
With Nadia off on a secret mission, and most of his officers reassigned, Jacob must face a new challenge— taking his ship into battle with wet behind the ear ensigns and midships.
From fires in the galley, to surprise attacks, the war is about to start in earnest. Interceptor can be the first casualty, or a sole survivor. For Interceptor to survive, the rest of her squadron must die.
Can Jacob find a way to save his squadron and warn the Alliance? Or will one final sacrifice be required?
The Consortium is in real trouble. Caliphate Naval forces have stepped up their raids on the border planets and are taking people by the thousands. They can defend the wormhole, or they can defend their planets, not both.
Only the Alliance can help them, but will they?
With the cold war heating up, the Alliance is forced to send light units to help. Lucky for them, the squadron of destroyers they free up includes Commander Jacob T. Grimm.
With Nadia off on a secret mission, and most of his officers reassigned, Jacob must face a new challenge— taking his ship into battle with wet behind the ear ensigns and midships.
From fires in the galley, to surprise attacks, the war is about to start in earnest. Interceptor can be the first casualty, or a sole survivor. For Interceptor to survive, the rest of her squadron must die.
Can Jacob find a way to save his squadron and warn the Alliance? Or will one final sacrifice be required?
442 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2022
998 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
About the author
Jeffery H. Haskell
38 books274 followersAward-winning Journalist and USA Today bestselling author Jeffery H. Haskell thinks he should always be himself… unless he can be Spider-Man. Then, he should be Spidey. He’s a lifelong lover of comic books and science fiction, and he owns his geek status by quoting Aliens and Star Trek at every given opportunity. When he realized he could make a living writing about his obsessions, he jumped at the chance. With the incredible support of his amazing wife and spectacular children, Jeffery lives the dream of bringing his imagination to the page and on occasion, he writes about love and marriage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
October 16, 2022
A GRIMM SACRIFICE is the fourth book in this series. I'm a huge fan of Jeffrey Haskell's GRIMM'S WAR series, which is one of the better space opera series I've been reading. Space opera is one of the best genres for indie fiction as it is the kind of wild genre that benefits from being unrestricted by traditional publishing. I am a huge fan of the Alexis Carew series by JA Sutherland, all of Glynn Stewart's writing, and a few other really good tales. I also write my own with Space Academy Dropouts and Lucifer's Star. This is, however, probably my favorite indie space opera series, though.
The premise of the series is that Jacob Grimm is a disgraced Alliance Naval officer who gets assigned to the butt end of space and ends up heroically saving the day multiple times against the EVIL Caliphate. (Note: While the Caliphate is pretty gross and awful, the book notably includes non-evil Muslim characters for those concerned). Unfortunately, the books do make the Caliphate run rings around anyone who isn't Jacob or his spy love interest, Nadia, so the Alliance is still losing against the slaving empire.
This book deals with the fact there's a secret conspiracy within the ranks of the Alliance's government to prevent them from entering into war with the Caliphate. They've captured the Caliph's son but have to deal with a peace movement that is determined to make economic inroads with the Caliphate. It's rather biting satire that I suspect was directly inspired by the attempts to do so with Russia over the Ukraine invasion.
The book is divided between the attempts by Jacob Grimm to head off attacks against one of their allies despite the fact his superior officer thinks he's a ticking time bomb psychopath with political connections AND Nadia attempting to root out the conspiracy within the Alliance. There's lots of fun twists and turns throughout this book. Also, we have some interesting debates on when it is an appropriate time to leak information to the public from classified documents. Thankfully, the leaker in this case ends up better off than Reality Winner.
I think what I enjoy most about the GRIMM'S WAR series is the fact that it manages to jump genres so easily. The previous books were straight up military science fiction while this one is as much an extensive spy thriller. I also like the fact the protagonists aren't always right in their suppositions. At one point, Nadia is sure a man has to be a sinister agent for the Caliphate and is left in a terrible position because, no, he just thinks that economic bridge building will do better long-term good than war.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this novel and am anxious for the next in the series. I felt it was a mistake holding off on the war with the Caliphate for as long as the series did, especially after the attack on the Alliance's capital in the second book, but I think we're finally gearing up for that battle. I also really liked a character's redemption arc in this story. It was slow enough to believable but also had enough complications to make it "messy" and I like messy redemptions.
The premise of the series is that Jacob Grimm is a disgraced Alliance Naval officer who gets assigned to the butt end of space and ends up heroically saving the day multiple times against the EVIL Caliphate. (Note: While the Caliphate is pretty gross and awful, the book notably includes non-evil Muslim characters for those concerned). Unfortunately, the books do make the Caliphate run rings around anyone who isn't Jacob or his spy love interest, Nadia, so the Alliance is still losing against the slaving empire.
This book deals with the fact there's a secret conspiracy within the ranks of the Alliance's government to prevent them from entering into war with the Caliphate. They've captured the Caliph's son but have to deal with a peace movement that is determined to make economic inroads with the Caliphate. It's rather biting satire that I suspect was directly inspired by the attempts to do so with Russia over the Ukraine invasion.
The book is divided between the attempts by Jacob Grimm to head off attacks against one of their allies despite the fact his superior officer thinks he's a ticking time bomb psychopath with political connections AND Nadia attempting to root out the conspiracy within the Alliance. There's lots of fun twists and turns throughout this book. Also, we have some interesting debates on when it is an appropriate time to leak information to the public from classified documents. Thankfully, the leaker in this case ends up better off than Reality Winner.
I think what I enjoy most about the GRIMM'S WAR series is the fact that it manages to jump genres so easily. The previous books were straight up military science fiction while this one is as much an extensive spy thriller. I also like the fact the protagonists aren't always right in their suppositions. At one point, Nadia is sure a man has to be a sinister agent for the Caliphate and is left in a terrible position because, no, he just thinks that economic bridge building will do better long-term good than war.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this novel and am anxious for the next in the series. I felt it was a mistake holding off on the war with the Caliphate for as long as the series did, especially after the attack on the Alliance's capital in the second book, but I think we're finally gearing up for that battle. I also really liked a character's redemption arc in this story. It was slow enough to believable but also had enough complications to make it "messy" and I like messy redemptions.
September 8, 2024
Decent story, bad editing
The story wasn't too bad. There were some interesting plot lines and scenes, with this being the first time Grimm is actually working with a squadron and not as a lone wolf. The CO of the squad doesn't like Grimm, and we see a few interesting, if over the top interpersonal interactions and internal monologs.
But what really brings the book down is it's horrendous editing. Bad grammar, missing words, etc. With a mistake so bad, it completely negates and ruins a message Grimm was trying to impart on one of his newer crew members that took up an entire page.
The series has potential, don't get me wrong, minus the need for a complete reworking of the main bad guy faction, in order to change this from a good guy Christian, bad guy Muslim themed book. Oh, and the continuously degrading editing.
The story wasn't too bad. There were some interesting plot lines and scenes, with this being the first time Grimm is actually working with a squadron and not as a lone wolf. The CO of the squad doesn't like Grimm, and we see a few interesting, if over the top interpersonal interactions and internal monologs.
But what really brings the book down is it's horrendous editing. Bad grammar, missing words, etc. With a mistake so bad, it completely negates and ruins a message Grimm was trying to impart on one of his newer crew members that took up an entire page.
The series has potential, don't get me wrong, minus the need for a complete reworking of the main bad guy faction, in order to change this from a good guy Christian, bad guy Muslim themed book. Oh, and the continuously degrading editing.
September 3, 2022
5 Stars
I don’t even know where to begin. A GRIMM SACRIFICE by Jeffrey H. Haskell is a roaring good military space tale with a mistreated, underdog Commander and a crew who really would march into hell for him. In a world where many people do only what feels good, Jacob T. Grimm’s dedication to “Duty. Courage. Honor” truly is heroic. Don’t miss this book!
I reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.
I don’t even know where to begin. A GRIMM SACRIFICE by Jeffrey H. Haskell is a roaring good military space tale with a mistreated, underdog Commander and a crew who really would march into hell for him. In a world where many people do only what feels good, Jacob T. Grimm’s dedication to “Duty. Courage. Honor” truly is heroic. Don’t miss this book!
I reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.
November 8, 2022
Book four in the series is less focused on the big battles, and goes deeper into the characters and the interpersonal conflicts than the prior three books in the series. For me, it is not only more serious, but more nuanced as well. Some of the "bad guys" are portrayed with more depth... Not just bad for the sake of hatred, but doing what they think is right given their loyalties and education. Jeff is definitely evolving as a writer, getting better with each new book. Can't wait to see where he goes next, whether it is with Grimm or Amelia or Madisun or something completely new. (Though no on would complain if we saw more of the Wraith and Arsenal)
October 9, 2024
I think this was my favorite of the series so far. Just pure old-fashioned fun (think a rip-roaring John Wayne movie crossed with the submarine classic Run Silent, Run Deep) of a military SF romp. OK, there's some fairly trite bad guys in the series, but they are now getting a little more depth to them. And maybe everyone on the "bad guy side" isn't actually all bad? And the good guys aren't all good? And people can see their mistakes and change? Well now we're getting somewhere! But mostly...just fun!
February 16, 2023
An Epic Adventure
To say I enjoy reading 📚 this epic sc-fi adventure would be the understatement of the year. It's well written, has great characters and a story that has you completely engaged. I can't wait for next book to come out in the series...
To say I enjoy reading 📚 this epic sc-fi adventure would be the understatement of the year. It's well written, has great characters and a story that has you completely engaged. I can't wait for next book to come out in the series...
July 17, 2022
Really well done SciFi military adventure. While will say this is a standard SciFi adventure, I'd say the military operates in pretty standard patterns and throw in intelligence? Well no template is going to survive bad writing and this is very good writing. I enjoyed every book. This is a timeless adventure--the barbary wars--once again the Interceptor is called on to free their countrymen from slavers. With courage and ingenuity, the captain and crew are able to free hundreds of slaves and send a very serious message back to the would be aggressors hiding behind a thin veil of "piracy." great story. Lots of adventure, intrigue, and both ground and space battles. Best of all? The good guys win!
April 12, 2023
Great book, very poor editing/proofing
Overall, this was a very good, easy to read story. It was action-filled and fluid, keeping my interest throughout. I would've given it 4 or maybe even 5 stars, but for the terrible editing/proofreading someone did on this book. There were so many spelling and grammatical errors that it became a real distraction to the story. Words are important, they can make or break a story; they can persuade, captivate, alienate or entirely lose the reader or listener. That's one of the most important lessons I learned over my career trying cases as an Army prosecutor, big-firm lawyer and Chief Legal Officer to a public company. It's just as true whether your talking to jurors, judges, executives, readers or old retired guys like me.
Overall, this was a very good, easy to read story. It was action-filled and fluid, keeping my interest throughout. I would've given it 4 or maybe even 5 stars, but for the terrible editing/proofreading someone did on this book. There were so many spelling and grammatical errors that it became a real distraction to the story. Words are important, they can make or break a story; they can persuade, captivate, alienate or entirely lose the reader or listener. That's one of the most important lessons I learned over my career trying cases as an Army prosecutor, big-firm lawyer and Chief Legal Officer to a public company. It's just as true whether your talking to jurors, judges, executives, readers or old retired guys like me.
April 1, 2023
9/10: Fantastic, left me wanting more.
“The Alliance. This. We’ll. Defend."
I can't read these books fast enough. Once the entire series is out, I'm starting at book one again and rereading. This is a tremendous series. I love it!
“Skipper,” she said, looking in the small mirror they shared, “you have exactly two looks. Everything is fine, and ‘some crazy stuff is about to go down.’ Sir.”
“The Alliance. This. We’ll. Defend."
I can't read these books fast enough. Once the entire series is out, I'm starting at book one again and rereading. This is a tremendous series. I love it!
“Skipper,” she said, looking in the small mirror they shared, “you have exactly two looks. Everything is fine, and ‘some crazy stuff is about to go down.’ Sir.”
September 11, 2022
Deserved the Dragon
Another very well written book, that not only expands on the characters, but the setting as well. While this moves closer to big fleet actions and characters becoming lost in the background, this book is still at the level where you have enough interaction to relate to the characters.
Another very well written book, that not only expands on the characters, but the setting as well. While this moves closer to big fleet actions and characters becoming lost in the background, this book is still at the level where you have enough interaction to relate to the characters.
September 18, 2024
While Commander Jacob T. Grimm didn’t exactly know what was going to happen to his crew and ship, the *USS Interceptor*, he knew that it was being refitted in the docks. Still that refit wasn’t going very fast and only minimal work was done by the dock workers since they deemed his ship too old to bother with. Still he has a champion in Fleet Admiral Villanueva who knows very well what kind of a Commander she has in Grimm. If she could, she would promote him immediately and put him in command of a much larger vessel, but politics wouldn’t allow that right now.
So she was going to get the *Interceptor* and it’s very capable and now experenced crew back into operation. After all, she had just recently awarded Commander Grimm the Navy Cross and the majory of his crew with so many medal that it would shock any other unit in her Navy. Unfortunately, what had earned them those medals, and earn them they did, was very classified and no one was going to know exactly what they did for a long time. Still she was assigning the *USS Interceptor* to DesRon Nine under a newly promoted Captain Ganesh Hatwal. Commander Grimm would be one of five destroyers in the squadron and it he was one that Captain Hatwal really, really didn’t want!
Consortium Admiral Endo didn’t have enough space Naval assets go guard his borders. One of those borders lead to the wormhole and he was using most of his assets to guard it afraid the Caliphate was going to attack at any time. He had requested assistance from the Alliance and was hoping they could help as soon as possible. While the USS Enterpirse was still in the docks getting refitted, the fleet wasn’t quite ready to come to Admiral Endo’s aid, but they did send DesRon Nine to help with any scouting mission Admiral Endo might need.
So Jacob went to mee his new commander, Captain Hatwal, and recevied a very cold reception. Hatwal didn’t understand and couldn’t accept that an officer of Grimm’s reputation (he did fire on a ship full of children) should still be in his Navy. He also didn’t understand how Grimm had acquired so many medals and accolaides when he hadn’t done anything of note. All Grimm’s records showed were classified missions that were mostely redacted. Hatwal figured that Grimm must has some political pull that was draggin him through his career. So, Jacob not understanding the hostile reception he got from his new commander, still was going to do his duty.
Their mission was to screen through several transit lanes to make sure the Caliphate wasn’t staging an attack fleet nearby. What they did find almost destroyed the *USS Interceptor* and one of the other destroyers. Still, they had to get word back to Admiral Endo about the coming attack . Unfortunately for Commander Jacob T. Grimm and his *USS Interceptor*, his part of the coming war was going to be short when he had to surrrender or be competely destroyed.
Pretty intense book with lots of action. I think we’ll find it even more interesting in the next book 5, “Know Thy Enemy”, now available on Amazon.
So she was going to get the *Interceptor* and it’s very capable and now experenced crew back into operation. After all, she had just recently awarded Commander Grimm the Navy Cross and the majory of his crew with so many medal that it would shock any other unit in her Navy. Unfortunately, what had earned them those medals, and earn them they did, was very classified and no one was going to know exactly what they did for a long time. Still she was assigning the *USS Interceptor* to DesRon Nine under a newly promoted Captain Ganesh Hatwal. Commander Grimm would be one of five destroyers in the squadron and it he was one that Captain Hatwal really, really didn’t want!
Consortium Admiral Endo didn’t have enough space Naval assets go guard his borders. One of those borders lead to the wormhole and he was using most of his assets to guard it afraid the Caliphate was going to attack at any time. He had requested assistance from the Alliance and was hoping they could help as soon as possible. While the USS Enterpirse was still in the docks getting refitted, the fleet wasn’t quite ready to come to Admiral Endo’s aid, but they did send DesRon Nine to help with any scouting mission Admiral Endo might need.
So Jacob went to mee his new commander, Captain Hatwal, and recevied a very cold reception. Hatwal didn’t understand and couldn’t accept that an officer of Grimm’s reputation (he did fire on a ship full of children) should still be in his Navy. He also didn’t understand how Grimm had acquired so many medals and accolaides when he hadn’t done anything of note. All Grimm’s records showed were classified missions that were mostely redacted. Hatwal figured that Grimm must has some political pull that was draggin him through his career. So, Jacob not understanding the hostile reception he got from his new commander, still was going to do his duty.
Their mission was to screen through several transit lanes to make sure the Caliphate wasn’t staging an attack fleet nearby. What they did find almost destroyed the *USS Interceptor* and one of the other destroyers. Still, they had to get word back to Admiral Endo about the coming attack . Unfortunately for Commander Jacob T. Grimm and his *USS Interceptor*, his part of the coming war was going to be short when he had to surrrender or be competely destroyed.
Pretty intense book with lots of action. I think we’ll find it even more interesting in the next book 5, “Know Thy Enemy”, now available on Amazon.
May 19, 2024
Bravo Zulu (Well done)
Great series. I’ve love the books and all they entail. This one was a little different and felt….a little hollow for me because many of the characters were transferred and with them went segments of their storyline. It didn’t seem the same to me without having the full compliment of those characters—their cohesiveness, dedication to one another, dedication and loyalty to the skipper and the Interceptor and most importantly the feeling of family. I’m sure crew transfers are a true reality in the armed forces world wide so of course the author needs to change them out to “keep it real,” but I definitely missed them. Of course there are new characters to replace the old, and I’m sure we’ll get to know them better as we go along. They’re all very young with little to no experience so Interceptor is starting its next mission with less cohesion and quick, decisive decision making that it had with the previous crew. Will that be a defining factor in the deep of space where their enemy is hunting them?
This time around Nadia is in the thick of it, too; doing something she never thought she’d be doing. Things go sideways and she has a decision to make, but this one has extreme consequences for either choice. Does she choose to make a definitive decision and go against the division she has bled & suffered for, which would put her on the run or does she choose to toe the line & wait to see what happens and more importantly, who does what?
Other than that, the book is, as usual, detail oriented in the battle scenes, plus this author gives details and action from the enemy as well. Drama, character building and interplay of the characters is one of the writer’s strongest capabilities. These two factors, (battle action and character detail), alone, make this author very good at his craft, that’s for sure. 👍. Bravo Zulu!!
** To author: I did “Note” a question about the dumping of their heat into the grav wake this time around because of something Grimm said and it seemed to differ from a previous book.
Great series. I’ve love the books and all they entail. This one was a little different and felt….a little hollow for me because many of the characters were transferred and with them went segments of their storyline. It didn’t seem the same to me without having the full compliment of those characters—their cohesiveness, dedication to one another, dedication and loyalty to the skipper and the Interceptor and most importantly the feeling of family. I’m sure crew transfers are a true reality in the armed forces world wide so of course the author needs to change them out to “keep it real,” but I definitely missed them. Of course there are new characters to replace the old, and I’m sure we’ll get to know them better as we go along. They’re all very young with little to no experience so Interceptor is starting its next mission with less cohesion and quick, decisive decision making that it had with the previous crew. Will that be a defining factor in the deep of space where their enemy is hunting them?
This time around Nadia is in the thick of it, too; doing something she never thought she’d be doing. Things go sideways and she has a decision to make, but this one has extreme consequences for either choice. Does she choose to make a definitive decision and go against the division she has bled & suffered for, which would put her on the run or does she choose to toe the line & wait to see what happens and more importantly, who does what?
Other than that, the book is, as usual, detail oriented in the battle scenes, plus this author gives details and action from the enemy as well. Drama, character building and interplay of the characters is one of the writer’s strongest capabilities. These two factors, (battle action and character detail), alone, make this author very good at his craft, that’s for sure. 👍. Bravo Zulu!!
** To author: I did “Note” a question about the dumping of their heat into the grav wake this time around because of something Grimm said and it seemed to differ from a previous book.
March 15, 2023
This is the fourth volume of the Grimm series I have read. I am an award-winning SciFi author and cannot help but read from that perspective. I thoroughly enjoy the military accuracy of Mr. Haskell's work, but as a non-religious person, I got tired of the constant references to prayer and religious doctrine. If Mr. Haskell is an ardent believer, I certainly do not wish to dissuade him from that pursuit. However, it is highly unusual in SciFi literature and, may I say, inappropriate.
Also, I write what is called "hard SciFi," which means that my technology sticks to science. The great Isac Asimov said, "readers will believe the improbable, but not the impossible." Haskell"s idea of the "star lanes" as a way to beat relativity is impossible. The wormhole is entirely another matter and is within the scientific boundaries of possibility, remote but possible. Even though the story occurs in the thirty-first century, space suits with no oxygen/life preservation equipment are whimsy.
These encompass only a few of the inaccuracies I found within the text; however, in all, the stories are engrossing, and the characters are attractive enough to grab a reader and maintain interest. The lack of romantic or sexual interest in a ship made up of approximately 50/50 male and female crewmembers also requires a bit of a suspension of disbelief.
Well told and carefully edited, I will possibly read the 5th volume if the religious references are not too diverting.
Rob Dorsey, Author
Also, I write what is called "hard SciFi," which means that my technology sticks to science. The great Isac Asimov said, "readers will believe the improbable, but not the impossible." Haskell"s idea of the "star lanes" as a way to beat relativity is impossible. The wormhole is entirely another matter and is within the scientific boundaries of possibility, remote but possible. Even though the story occurs in the thirty-first century, space suits with no oxygen/life preservation equipment are whimsy.
These encompass only a few of the inaccuracies I found within the text; however, in all, the stories are engrossing, and the characters are attractive enough to grab a reader and maintain interest. The lack of romantic or sexual interest in a ship made up of approximately 50/50 male and female crewmembers also requires a bit of a suspension of disbelief.
Well told and carefully edited, I will possibly read the 5th volume if the religious references are not too diverting.
Rob Dorsey, Author
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2024
#4 in the Grimm's War series, and it was a good 'un.
Jacob and his crew on the destroyer Interceptor are part of a squadron under the command of someone who mistrusts both Jacob and the ship. Since the Interceptor's last mission was classified, Jacob can't speak up and defend his crew's honor, let alone his own. It makes for some interesting interactions. Nadia goes on another covert operation with an unlikely partner. I won't say who; you'll just have a big surprise if you read this.That was a really good storyline, too! She's a tough egg.
I really like the cast of characters in this series. Some of them had more growth, and some had some deeply personal revelations about themselves. Some have even finally figured out that an entire people can't be painted with the same brush. Gee whiz that was a long time coming!
And by the way! Forewarned is forearmed: this ebook ends at the 89% mark on my Kindle. The remainder of the book is a short story. I wouldn't have minded so much but it's written by a different person, don't ask me why. It takes place in an earlier timeline on Zuckabar with some of the crewmembers.
I just bought the next one in the series.
Jacob and his crew on the destroyer Interceptor are part of a squadron under the command of someone who mistrusts both Jacob and the ship. Since the Interceptor's last mission was classified, Jacob can't speak up and defend his crew's honor, let alone his own. It makes for some interesting interactions. Nadia goes on another covert operation with an unlikely partner. I won't say who; you'll just have a big surprise if you read this.That was a really good storyline, too! She's a tough egg.
I really like the cast of characters in this series. Some of them had more growth, and some had some deeply personal revelations about themselves. Some have even finally figured out that an entire people can't be painted with the same brush. Gee whiz that was a long time coming!
And by the way! Forewarned is forearmed: this ebook ends at the 89% mark on my Kindle. The remainder of the book is a short story. I wouldn't have minded so much but it's written by a different person, don't ask me why. It takes place in an earlier timeline on Zuckabar with some of the crewmembers.
I just bought the next one in the series.
September 7, 2022
Jeffrey Haskell brings a sense of realism to science fiction that is rarely seen but always admired.
Each book in this series can stand alone, but start at Against All Odds if you can.
Grimm gets caught between a rock and a hard place when he has to balance honor and duty in deep space with a crew that’s fighting for their lives.
This story picks up shortly after the last one. It has most of the same characters and all of the action but Haskell throws a surprise twist in this one that I did NOT see coming. This was well done and welcome! This is still military SciFi but it’s a more fast-paced thrilling action story than the first few books and still has everything we love about Grimm and his crew. There is a space battle in here that is truly epic. Haskell keeps all the fun, fights, intrigue, and honor from the early books and puts it all together very well once again.
Fantastic job on the best book in an already outstanding series! I am truly excited to read the next one.
I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy SPACE BATTLES, SciFi, action, thrillers, and good-hearted stories in general.
Each book in this series can stand alone, but start at Against All Odds if you can.
Grimm gets caught between a rock and a hard place when he has to balance honor and duty in deep space with a crew that’s fighting for their lives.
This story picks up shortly after the last one. It has most of the same characters and all of the action but Haskell throws a surprise twist in this one that I did NOT see coming. This was well done and welcome! This is still military SciFi but it’s a more fast-paced thrilling action story than the first few books and still has everything we love about Grimm and his crew. There is a space battle in here that is truly epic. Haskell keeps all the fun, fights, intrigue, and honor from the early books and puts it all together very well once again.
Fantastic job on the best book in an already outstanding series! I am truly excited to read the next one.
I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy SPACE BATTLES, SciFi, action, thrillers, and good-hearted stories in general.
March 4, 2023
Enjoyed all the books in this series. Classic Hornblower (and Honor Harrington) influenced science fiction with good if somewhat over present and one sided combat. Don't expect literary masterpieces though, the books have some very poor and implausible plots. For example, early on in the series, the main character gets stigmatised because the enemy ships attacking his squadron are later found to be full of children... really!?! Also, Haskell feels it necessary to reset the main character's progression at the start of each book in similary implausible and unsubtle ways in order to make difficulties he can recover from. Still, you have to make allowances if you enjoy this type of fiction and Haskell does it a lot better than most. The world building is OK, but not up to the standards of say Weber's Honorverse universe.
September 8, 2022
Book 3 was a bit of a letdown I thought, but book four shakes that off and then some. This time it is the wormhole in question, and the Caliphate are who they're going up against.
I won't recap the plot because it's long and complicated, but I really enjoyed this. The book does start out slow and Jacob is in the doghouse and can't find a way out. He's part of a battle group with three other light cruisers when things go wrong.
The biggest change between books three and four is that the crew are new. We meet Kai, Bourdreaux, and many others who step up to fill some big shoes.
The editing is better but still shaky, but the story eclipses any complaints I might have. This is an excellent series, end of story.
Recommended. 5/5*
I won't recap the plot because it's long and complicated, but I really enjoyed this. The book does start out slow and Jacob is in the doghouse and can't find a way out. He's part of a battle group with three other light cruisers when things go wrong.
The biggest change between books three and four is that the crew are new. We meet Kai, Bourdreaux, and many others who step up to fill some big shoes.
The editing is better but still shaky, but the story eclipses any complaints I might have. This is an excellent series, end of story.
Recommended. 5/5*
October 31, 2022
This is my fourth bite at the apple of Jeffrey Haskell’s Grimm series. The book carries on the strengths and weaknesses of the previous books but at this point I didn’t mind the weaknesses as much and enjoyed the high points more. Haskell weaves an intricate and really interesting plot with the backdrop of a galaxy where the political maneuvering--from highest to lowest levels--may well kill you if the enemy doesn’t. We also get to see Jacob Grimm grow a bit as a character--there was a touch of vulnerability as he sees his previous team off to new and bigger things. Another solid entry in the franchise.
September 11, 2022
Can't wait to see what happens next
I hope the Interceptor lives on somehow, but it's not looking good at the end of the story. While the Hellcat version maybe too damaged to go on, maybe a newer destroyer model can be christened with the name and carry on the tradition of the finest ship in the Alliance fleet. The crew seems to have survived for those who weren't KIA and I am looking forward to the next chapter in the series. Just hope Rather and Grimm find a way to have a happy ending in the end.
I hope the Interceptor lives on somehow, but it's not looking good at the end of the story. While the Hellcat version maybe too damaged to go on, maybe a newer destroyer model can be christened with the name and carry on the tradition of the finest ship in the Alliance fleet. The crew seems to have survived for those who weren't KIA and I am looking forward to the next chapter in the series. Just hope Rather and Grimm find a way to have a happy ending in the end.
October 4, 2022
Excellent yarn!
Haskell fulfills my most basic requirement in good science fiction, good character development. He has the gift of bringing his characters to life with a subtlety close to the master of character development, Robert Heinlein.
The only detracting feature is his habit of jumping from one subplot to another half a world or more away. This technique brings too many main characters for the reader to easily keep track of. Sadly, this subplot and character hopping seems to be almost expected in today's science fiction.
Haskell fulfills my most basic requirement in good science fiction, good character development. He has the gift of bringing his characters to life with a subtlety close to the master of character development, Robert Heinlein.
The only detracting feature is his habit of jumping from one subplot to another half a world or more away. This technique brings too many main characters for the reader to easily keep track of. Sadly, this subplot and character hopping seems to be almost expected in today's science fiction.
November 19, 2025
I'm struggling through this series a bit. Grimm as a character is a little bland, a little too perfect. I'm also really not a fan of the whole "Arabs as the bad guys" thing, which is so clichéd - and, tbh, quite offensive.
That being said, this book was packed with action and there were some interesting plot lines, such as the whole political/spy intrigue. The story was enjoyable.
The editing, though, is terrible (and possibly even worse than previous books in the series). I'll stretch it to three stars, but please do better.
That being said, this book was packed with action and there were some interesting plot lines, such as the whole political/spy intrigue. The story was enjoyable.
The editing, though, is terrible (and possibly even worse than previous books in the series). I'll stretch it to three stars, but please do better.
January 23, 2023
I enjoyed the first few books in this series but I’m not reading the last one. Far too many typographical and grammatical errors for a novel sold to the public. Reporting the errors was distracting. I lost all interest after the author used “your” for “you’re” and spelled the name he had given to one of his characters incorrectly (called the guy “Beech” throughout but “Beach” at least once). It’s like this was edited by a cheap AI.
September 4, 2023
Solid Military Sci-Fi
If you enjoy military Sci-Fi then you should enjoy this series. This book continues where the others left off. Very similar story lines and writing style. If there’s anything missing in this series, in my opinion, it’s grit. The books lack a sense of realism and grittiness necessary to bring a tale truly alive. However, the upside is that each book has a happy ending.
If you enjoy military Sci-Fi then you should enjoy this series. This book continues where the others left off. Very similar story lines and writing style. If there’s anything missing in this series, in my opinion, it’s grit. The books lack a sense of realism and grittiness necessary to bring a tale truly alive. However, the upside is that each book has a happy ending.
December 6, 2025
Once More Into The Fire
Jacob and the Interceptor find themselves in the fight of their lives with a massive force of Califate Space Navy Ships. They are headed for a sneak attack on an Alliance Battle Group that will give them control of the Wormhole.
Surrounded by Califate ships that are able to prevent him from notifying Admiral Edo of their approach. He must find a way to get the information out before his ship is destroyed.
Jacob and the Interceptor find themselves in the fight of their lives with a massive force of Califate Space Navy Ships. They are headed for a sneak attack on an Alliance Battle Group that will give them control of the Wormhole.
Surrounded by Califate ships that are able to prevent him from notifying Admiral Edo of their approach. He must find a way to get the information out before his ship is destroyed.
December 15, 2022
utterly fantastic
Fantastic universe. Fantastic narrative. Fantastic characters—and supporting characters don’t take over the story.
In an environment where it seems every protagonist is a self-centered jerk, it is quite refreshing to find that Jacob is someone I wouldn’t mind hanging out with.
Fantastic universe. Fantastic narrative. Fantastic characters—and supporting characters don’t take over the story.
In an environment where it seems every protagonist is a self-centered jerk, it is quite refreshing to find that Jacob is someone I wouldn’t mind hanging out with.
March 20, 2023
Listened to the Audible version. Easy reading, pulp science fiction at it’s almost best. But a fun read. Could use an editor and maybe a bigger thesaurus. It is safe to say that Jacob T. Grimm is the luckiest ship’s captain in the fictional universe with most loyal crew. Even though I rolled my eyes many times during the story, I will still be first in line to buy book 5!
June 3, 2023
Nonstop action and heroism from unexpected scenarios
Full of surprises from good guys and bad while Grimm constantly comes up with unusual and “impossible” solutions. Can’t put the book down and can’t wait to pick it up again. I want to keep on reading but I don’t want to come to the end.
Full of surprises from good guys and bad while Grimm constantly comes up with unusual and “impossible” solutions. Can’t put the book down and can’t wait to pick it up again. I want to keep on reading but I don’t want to come to the end.
June 25, 2023
Really good story teller
Reading these books by Haskell brings up memories of the courage, bravery and duty of service of Honor Harrington and Black Jack Geary (authors Weber and Campbell). If you haven't read their stories, do so.
Intelligently written, great use of scientific principles. You'll fall in love with the ship, crew and most of Jacob Grimm.
Well done, Jeffery!
Reading these books by Haskell brings up memories of the courage, bravery and duty of service of Honor Harrington and Black Jack Geary (authors Weber and Campbell). If you haven't read their stories, do so.
Intelligently written, great use of scientific principles. You'll fall in love with the ship, crew and most of Jacob Grimm.
Well done, Jeffery!
July 21, 2023
Excellent Story
A Grimm Sacrifice is an engrossing tale where Commander Grimm takes on the Caliphate with a new bunch of officers that he needs to train and mold to train to the point where they can fight the Interceptor against a vicious and cruel enemy. There is another short story at the end of the Book, this time involving CWO Boudreaux and Chief Redfern.
A Grimm Sacrifice is an engrossing tale where Commander Grimm takes on the Caliphate with a new bunch of officers that he needs to train and mold to train to the point where they can fight the Interceptor against a vicious and cruel enemy. There is another short story at the end of the Book, this time involving CWO Boudreaux and Chief Redfern.
October 1, 2023
Very enjoyable
Jacob Grimm and new crew members join a squadron and find more adventure. The multiple plot lines keep you on your toes. They eventually coalesce in the end. More intrigue with Nadia’s spy activities, Jacob has to prove his worth with his new squadrons CO, and of course, battles against long odds. Another great installment.
Jacob Grimm and new crew members join a squadron and find more adventure. The multiple plot lines keep you on your toes. They eventually coalesce in the end. More intrigue with Nadia’s spy activities, Jacob has to prove his worth with his new squadrons CO, and of course, battles against long odds. Another great installment.
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