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veronica87's review against another edition
3.0
I always enjoy a good military science fiction story and this book certainly fits the bill. It's a tale that borrows from the Arthurian legend of a people looking to a hero from the past to come forth in their direst time of need...and sets it all in space. Captain John Geary, rescued from space where he's apparently been drifting in hibernation sleep for the better part of a century, suddenly finds himself having to save an Alliance fleet that is very different from the one he once served. Some look to him as a larger than life figure who can do no wrong while others chafe at the changes he brings with him. For his own part, Geary doesn't want to be a legend but what he finds is that perhaps only a legend can save them all. What follows is a space chase chock full of military honor and tradition, though that doesn't necessarily mean the same things to all people.
I liked Geary and found his position between a rock and a hard place interesting. As he himself points out, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. The rest of the characters could do with a little more fleshing out and I'm hoping that that comes with time. As of now, we have Captain Desjani, who is a bit too enthralled by Geary's legend status for my tastes, Co-President Rione who seems to think that Geary might be a dictator in the making, and a couple of other ship Captains who seemed destined to cause Geary a world of trouble in books to come.
As with most stories of this kind, the overly technical space battles got cumbersome but I tend to skim those so they don't bother me too much. The world building can use some fortification as well and I hope that that comes as Geary navigates through all the changes in the Alliance that have transpired since his supposed "death" a hundred years ago. This would be the perfect setup to experience this time period through the eyes of someone who is also new to it but further books will see how, or if, that plays out. But because the characters and world building need work, I can't give this the four stars I was hoping for, but the elements are in place to get there.
I liked Geary and found his position between a rock and a hard place interesting. As he himself points out, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. The rest of the characters could do with a little more fleshing out and I'm hoping that that comes with time. As of now, we have Captain Desjani, who is a bit too enthralled by Geary's legend status for my tastes, Co-President Rione who seems to think that Geary might be a dictator in the making, and a couple of other ship Captains who seemed destined to cause Geary a world of trouble in books to come.
As with most stories of this kind, the overly technical space battles got cumbersome but I tend to skim those so they don't bother me too much. The world building can use some fortification as well and I hope that that comes as Geary navigates through all the changes in the Alliance that have transpired since his supposed "death" a hundred years ago. This would be the perfect setup to experience this time period through the eyes of someone who is also new to it but further books will see how, or if, that plays out. But because the characters and world building need work, I can't give this the four stars I was hoping for, but the elements are in place to get there.
cdbaker's review against another edition
3.0
Cool concept. Perhaps a bit too much of the book was descriptions of battles (for me), so it took me awhile to get into. I will likely read the next book eventually though.
jdhacker's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I'm going to combine the first five books of the Lost Fleet series in one review. They're light reading, you could knock out one or two a day, and there aren't really natural transition points in the story between books. There's also not a lot of variation in terms of quality or technique from book to book, so there isn't much reason not to combine them here, especially as there isn't a lot to rave about.
Lost Fleet gives us the story of Black Jack Geary, a hero lost in the past and like the once and future king returning when his society (really all of humanity) needs him most...last in a 100 year interstellar war between human factions (eventually evolving to be against an alien race). The first 6 books are all about him trying to get his fleet home and hopefully end the war between human factions, while decimating the opposition, with a little bit of investigation/mystery regarding the aliens and some politicking. There's also a LOT of introspective musing and characters-as-mouthpiece for the ethical dilemma of how to lead both the fleet and eventually the human race (democracy or benevolent dictatorship).
High points, like I said, is that they're light, fast reads. If you like like that sort of military scifi, you'll probably enjoy these well enough. For that matter, if you like submarine military fiction, you'll probably like this, as the sub combat-esque fleet maneuvering is about the only real action you're going to get here. There's limited person to person action, and even the limited political maneuvering is spread pretty thinly across the whole series.
There's a lot of showing rather than telling throughout, even after the first five books I couldn't give you any idea what ships might looks like (they're primarily described by class of vessel and name only). I'm steeped in enough scifi that my mind filled in the spaces, but its less than ideal writing. For that matter, I probably couldn't tell you with any accuracy what any main characters look like, again save for what my head filled in based on personality.
Something really jarring early on is that we don't really see Geary's rescue, awakening, and semi-reintegration into the fleet until book 3 or 4. Book 1 picks up sometime *after* he wakes up, which for the first hundred pages had me feeling as if I'd missed something.
I got the first 5 books free, in a box of other books from my aunt, and while not terrible I probably won't be setting off to pick up any more of the, at this point pretty lengthy, series.
Lost Fleet gives us the story of Black Jack Geary, a hero lost in the past and like the once and future king returning when his society (really all of humanity) needs him most...last in a 100 year interstellar war between human factions (eventually evolving to be against an alien race). The first 6 books are all about him trying to get his fleet home and hopefully end the war between human factions, while decimating the opposition, with a little bit of investigation/mystery regarding the aliens and some politicking. There's also a LOT of introspective musing and characters-as-mouthpiece for the ethical dilemma of how to lead both the fleet and eventually the human race (democracy or benevolent dictatorship).
High points, like I said, is that they're light, fast reads. If you like like that sort of military scifi, you'll probably enjoy these well enough. For that matter, if you like submarine military fiction, you'll probably like this, as the sub combat-esque fleet maneuvering is about the only real action you're going to get here. There's limited person to person action, and even the limited political maneuvering is spread pretty thinly across the whole series.
There's a lot of showing rather than telling throughout, even after the first five books I couldn't give you any idea what ships might looks like (they're primarily described by class of vessel and name only). I'm steeped in enough scifi that my mind filled in the spaces, but its less than ideal writing. For that matter, I probably couldn't tell you with any accuracy what any main characters look like, again save for what my head filled in based on personality.
Something really jarring early on is that we don't really see Geary's rescue, awakening, and semi-reintegration into the fleet until book 3 or 4. Book 1 picks up sometime *after* he wakes up, which for the first hundred pages had me feeling as if I'd missed something.
I got the first 5 books free, in a box of other books from my aunt, and while not terrible I probably won't be setting off to pick up any more of the, at this point pretty lengthy, series.
eversummer's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.75
mad_matx's review against another edition
1.0
People are giving this 4 or 5 stars. Seriously? It's like a gourmet cheeseburger, except, of course, it's a cheeseburger.
Yeah well, cheeseburgers can be great. Even, theoretically, five-star great. But this one? The meat is stale and cold, the cheese is un-melted American slice, the bun is soggy.
In spite of the indigestion, I went back again for the seconds. Y'know, sometimes it just sat on the shelf too long. Maybe the chef - a beginner, I thought - just had to get up to speed.... I believe I abandoned that second book after just a couple bites.
Yeah well, cheeseburgers can be great. Even, theoretically, five-star great. But this one? The meat is stale and cold, the cheese is un-melted American slice, the bun is soggy.
In spite of the indigestion, I went back again for the seconds. Y'know, sometimes it just sat on the shelf too long. Maybe the chef - a beginner, I thought - just had to get up to speed.... I believe I abandoned that second book after just a couple bites.
dan_at's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I liked that, a quick, entertaining palate cleanser type of book between 2 heavier books.
Definitely going to check out book 2.
Definitely going to check out book 2.
djhowe's review against another edition
1.0
way too much talking and political maneuvering for what I thought was a space action thiller. The hardest part was trying to keep up with the author in why a phrase was significant because it points to a loophole in the regulations you have no understanding of.
carlossu's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ftagliaca's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5