The Lost Fleet: Dauntless

This is perhaps the best Sci-Fi story since Star Wars. I downloaded the first book "Dauntless" and before I was finished with it, I had the next two on my Ipod. I then downloaded the 4th book the day it was released, and am now counting the days until the 5th book is released, "Relentless" . There is not another Science Fiction book I would rather read or would rather suggest to another listener. If you have a credit, USE IT; if you don't, BUY IT! You will not be disappointed.

This is, without a doubt, one of my least favorite science fiction books. I am sorry, I feel bad saying it, but I honestly feel that this might in fact be ???the??? worst SF book the lot. Now, I???ve read a lot of bad books. I???ve even enjoyed a lot of bad books, but this really just rubbed me the wrong way. Tedious and predicable internal monologue; I could have been fine with it in some cartoonish way, but the seriousness with which this is presented gals me. The main character seems to be the only sane character in the galaxy. Sure, this is justified somewhat by the fact that the rest of the human race has spent the last hundred years fighting in a never ending war. But honestly, it still just doesn???t cut it. The sheer, and I shudder to even use the expression, cheesiness of not only the hero worship, but also the stupidity of others does not engender Black Jack Geary to me in the least.

This is another of those novels where instead of making the main character likeable though faults and obstacles and his overcoming these, the author has instead elected to make everyone else as inedible as possible. It is too simple, too cheap and much too little.

That the concept, the idea itself, behind the novel is decent in itself, even good, does not change these facts. The book is just poorly executed, poorly written and unfortunately also poorly read.

It is military science-fiction - definitely science-fiction in that they are in spaceships, in the future. Definitely military in they they are at war - in their spaceships which are treated like naval ships would be, complete with marines and officer rankings - with a human enemy.

It is a bit space-opera-y in that the characters will be recurring in future installments, and the overall plot encompasses multiple planetary systems and characters. The story doesn't really end at the end of the book - just the first leg of the journey was completed, not the entire trip.

There is a bit of character development in the main character, though the rest of them are pretty much cardboard cut-outs. Mostly, they are there for the main character to reflect his own thoughts off. Fortunately the main character is actually pretty interesting. He has a bit of conflict both within himself ("will power corrupt me?") and with the other ship captains ("is he corrupt?" or "will he get in my path en route to glory?")

I quite liked the story, and how Black Jack's history was brought into the story, and how this history is used to make him who he is. I have bought the next couple in this series.

The narration is un-obtrusive (i.e. at points I sorta forgot it was narrated). There is no graphic anything (sex, violence or language). And, while there is a tiny bit of moralizing (i.e. "this" is right/moral), it was not excessively so.

Was searching around Audibles database looking for a good Sci Fi series to read. Saw the Lost Fleet and downloaded the first one, "Dauntless". It is great, find it interesting concept for a long thought dead hero to come back and save the fleet. The light year lag in time makes an interesting tactical problem in space warfare. It is nice to see so many women in high ranking roles. Downloading the next in the series. It is great that Audible has the entire series so I can listen in the correct order. This is my first Jack Campbell book I will also look for books in his real name John G. Henry.

I agree with Michael, at times the author repeats himself about lag. Nevertheless, thats sort of the point. Battles on this scale and at these speeds are all about lag and trying to deal with it.

BTW I think the narrator is does a great job.

I enjoyed the book and will read/listen to the next book in series.

One of the hardest things about trying a new series is getting through the first book. This book captures you from the first few paragraphs and never lets you go. The ONLY reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because some of his rivals in this 1st book are little stupid and illogical in my opinion.

I enjoyed the first two of these books but I'm declining to read the third. They bid fair for becoming as endless Robert Jordan's "The Eye of the World" series. I liked the first couple of those, too, till I realized that there was never, ever going to be a resolution, as when the goal was accomplished, the series would end.

The Lost Fleet plots were entertaining. If you don't mind the endless repetitive permutations necessary to this sort of series and the suspicion that nothing's actually ever going to happen because the goal of getting home will be the end of the series, go for it.

Be nice if Campbell could take a tip from Bujold and Forester, and give the captain a mission, let him perform it and send him out on another one, as he battles to form the fleet into a real honest-to-god fighting Navy.

Got to say that Campbell's onto a good thing, here, professionally. But eventually he'll figure out why Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock.

I loved this book, and the ones after it in the seriers. It got me hooked in the very first chapter. It is very well crafted with attention to betail, however that detail dosn't slow the story in the slightest. Action packed, and a thrill ride for the mind. A must book for anyone who likes the Miles Vorkosigan seriers by Lois McMaster Bujold, or The Prince Roger McClintock stories by John Ringo.

This audiobook ranks up there with the Prince Rogers, Miles Vorkosigan, and Honor Harrington series. There seemed to be more space battles in this story than the others; so if that is what you like in a space novel, then this book is for you. However, the best part is a strong character whom you can cheer on. Captain John Geary is a man out of time having recently been rescued from stasis after a long time lost in space. He is a battle hero from his days and is worshiped by many of those in the fleet that picked him up. However, timing is bad for Geary as the fleet has headed into an ambush deep in enemy territory. This is the line of events we are thrust into at the very beginning of the book and may be a little confusing at first. This story is about how Captain Geary must take hold of the fleet and save it from destruction with the goal to get everyone back home to safety. Enemies and difficulties may not only lie out in space but in the fleet itself. A long time of war has changed the hearts and minds of those that serve in the Alliance fleet and Geary must come to terms and live up to everyones expectations or find control of the fleet to slip out of his hands. The reader did an excellent job. I had no problem distinguishing characters. This is one of those books that made me want to download the follow up right away.

The best book series by Jack Campbell AKA John G Henry

In the future people finally moved to other planets, Hundreds of planets are populated.

Years later the major rift appeared in human politics , some planets kept their Democratic form of government "Alliance" and some other decided to go with evolution of free market in which companies became the new government "Syndics".

And the WAR began:
Syndics attacked!
During the first battle, the ship "Merlin" under command of John Geary protected merchant ships and helped them run away from the star system, and this became the first battle of the great war.

As the last of his actions Commander Geary ordered to abandon ship, and commenced self destruct sequence, Commander Geary was posthumously promoted to the rank of Captain.

Hundred years later the war still goes on!!!!
Just as it always happens the war evolved, it became the thing of stupidity and atrocities, of war crimes and annihilation, the war in which strategical and tactical thinking was replaced with brutal frontal attacks, the time when battle promotions became normal career advancement,..

The human kind dwelled in stagnation for almost hundred years. As an act of desperation the great fleet was built by the Alliance to finish the war once and for all. During the movement of the fleet the escape pod was recovered in long abandoned star system, containing a man of legends, a man of myths "Black Jack Geary".

How timely, because the fleet is going directly into Syndics Trap!!!!

If you are not hooked yet,I don't know what to say.

PS
There are rumours, that there maybe a movie based on this series soon. :-)