Dreadnaught

The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier

By: Jack Campbell

Narrated by: Christian Rummel, Jack Campbell - introduction

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

The first book of best-selling sci-fi author Jack Campbell’s new series "Beyond the Frontier" returns to find Captain John “Black Jack" Geary, the hero of the "Lost Fleet" series, awoken from cryogenic sleep to take command of the fleet.

Geary’s legendary exploits have earned him the adoration of the people—and the enmity of politicians convinced that a living hero can be a very inconvenient thing. The century-long war between the Alliance and the Syndicate Worlds may be over, but Geary and his newly christened First Fleet have been ordered back into action to investigate the aliens occupying the far side of Syndic space and to determine how much of a threat they represent to the Alliance. And while the Syndic Worlds are no longer united, individually they may be more dangerous than ever before. Geary knows that members of the military high command and the government question his loyalty to the Alliance and fear his staging a coup, so he can’t help but wonder if the newly christened First Fleet is being sent to the far side of space on a suicide mission.

William C. Dietz, the author of the "Legion of the Damned" series, calls Dreadnaught "a rousing adventure", and Elizabeth Moon, the Nebula Award-winning author of the "Vatta's War" series, says it’s “loaded with edge-of-your-seat combat". Read by Christian Rummel, who has narrated The Lost Fleet series to excellent reviews, Dreadnaught promises to be an out-of-this-world experience.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction written and read by author Jack Campbell.

Get Lost! Listen to the rest of the Lost Fleet series.

©2011 John G. Hemry (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

A Delightful Novel

This is the first novel of the second half of the Black Jack Geary saga. While the story can be enjoyed without first reading the “Lost Fleet” series, starting with Dauntless, I would suggest first starting at the beginning. The author uses these novels to deliver a very enjoyable, almost never ending series of battles. The stories are told from the viewpoint of a ship’s captain, who lost his ship in the first battle of a hundred year war. After lying in a lifeboat frozen for a century, he wakes to find out that the Alliance has turned him into a hero of mythical proportions, who was supposed to return from the dead to win the war.

The author tries to explain to his listeners the value of tradition as well as military discipline. While the books were written many years ago, the books provide an excellent platform to discuss issues of today, from authoritarian regimes, to torture, to artificial intelligence. Spoiler Alert! The author, a career naval officer knows that torture has no place in a democracy, and the ends do not justify the means. Despite the fact that our society found no need to “break the rules “ while defeating the Nazis, some people still bring it up again and again. Jack Campbell has provided us with excellent stories while reminding us to keep our values no matter how far we travel.

Slow burner

It was a slow start with a lot of world building for the second half.

Fun listen while at work.

The author has hit his groove. This is a fun listen as the plot thickens.

Not my style

This is my first Jack Campbell book, and it became apparent that there was a large series before this i missed. It was well written though, and still flowed even without that knowledge. the book wasn't my style though, as it was mostly politics and life aboard a ship. While this isn't bad, it just isn't... interesting enough... to keep my focus. basically a well written story about boring things.

The Grand Space Opera Continues

If you like hard (okay, maybe just a little squishy) science fiction with a huge dose of drama and solid, if not overly deep, characters, Jack Campbell is an author to keep on your list. I've listened to the whole Lost Fleet and Beyond the Frontier series', and there wasn't a slow or disappointing book in the bunch.

It's all about politics and space combat, and a clash of cultures that could ultimately save humanity.

My only complaint (and it's really petty), is that by naming the books after random ships it's a little hard to keep track of what order they come in. I needed a cheat sheet that I kept on a memo in my Blackberry so I knew in what order to listen.

I said it was petty.

Great narration by Christian Rummel. For space opera and science fiction fans these are a great listen.

Another great Blackjack Geary adventure

Loved it. The adventure continues into Enigma space. Can't wait to hear the next book.

Go humans, think outside the box!

You have heard what insanity is: doing the same thing over and over and getting the same result. That seems to be what my life is, but thinking outside the box sometimes thinking as a child for example may be the way to help me see what I'm supposed to do in the remaining part of my life.

True to the Genre

I can't fault a book because it is in a genre (military sci-fi) that I tend to dislike. Jack Campbell is a fabulous writer and the choice of Christian Rummel for the narrator was the perfect match. I started with the third book in the series and then went back to this one. For this genre, this series of books is at the top and worth the listen.

I have to admit it's getting better

Any additional comments?

I consider this the 7th installment of The Lost Fleet series. It picks up pretty much right where Victorious left off. It has the exact same characters and moves forward with the exact same plot line.

I am developing a love/hate relationship with this series.

Examples;

1. I hate the way Campbell keeps repeating the same stuff over and over until I want to scream, but I love the adventure of exploring this universe with the fleet.
2. I hate the way Campbell constantly tells you how the characters are feeling instead of showing you through their actions, but I love the power struggles between the different groups. (What is that devious government up to?)
3. I love the battle sequences, but I hate the way Campbell lists Evey battleship in the fleet ad nauseam.
4. I love the characters. I really do. However, I hate the way the heros are perfect. They never do anything wrong... and I want to puke every time they talk about how honorable they are.
5. I love the mysterious alien race. I find them intriguing. I want to know more about them, but I hate... actually, I have no hated counterpart here. I love this whole part of the story.

After that last book I was loosing interest in this whole series. After this one I have a renewed interest. I shall be sailing the universe with admiral Geary again in the future.

Lost Fleet and Beyond the Frontier

I rarely review books, much less series. However, I can compare this, safely, with series like R.A. Salvatore's Legacy of the Drow, (basically all the books with Drizzt Do'Urden in them,) and say that they hook you in, and keep you reading, and waiting on the next book. I love the little narrative at the beginning of every book by the author. He gets you to think about things, and to remember, while reading, or listening. I would recommend this to anyone who may enjoy science fiction that has basis in science fact. As well as anyone else who likes a good space saga, or even well written space fights between ships.