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4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
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Top reviews from the United States

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S. Hillard
4.0 out of 5 stars Good except for the romance
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2019
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The plots are intricate and even though we switch perspectives a lot, I never found it confusing and always knew who was speaking and where they were. The emotional througjlines between lines and humans are good and I like where this series is headed vis a vie non-human intelligence.

[MINOR SPOILERS]
However, both the romances are very poorly written. The super savvy princess is in love with her established father figure is a gross trope, and the dynamic is almost Anne Mcaffrey-like in its cringe factor. It also doesn't fit with any of the rest of the book. Politically, it would be a terrible idea to marry your fleet admiral. He's already established as her father figure (the ages are unclear, but it was mentioned previously that he basically raised her) but making him into her lover reeks of the "men and women can't be friends without sex" trope which is one of my most hated.

The other pairing is politically ok, but not great ssecurity-wise. They also don't really earn it. Like, they definitely spend a lot of time in the same room together and they've each saved each other's life, but besides some weirdly jealous glaring when someone else is called his girlfriend, it was not foreshadowed at all. (Jealousy as an indicator of love is also one of my least favorite tropes). The fact that she has been contractually obligated to almost never leave his side for 3 books makes it feel kinda stockholm-y too.
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AmazonAccount685
3.0 out of 5 stars Very frustrating. Not as good as the first two.
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2019
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I really love the first two books in the series and all the characters in them. Something happened between books 2 and 3 though and the characters that came out the other side were not the ones I knew from before. Maybe it was that the plot was all over the place, and the characters were put in hackneyed situations that made them react in ways contrary to the characters that have been built up for them previously. All I know is that it just didn't work and as the book one on I grew more and more frustrated with the idiocy of what I was reading. By the end of the book I hated the main character with a passion. The only thing that you could depend upon was for him to act like a child, pure emotion with no reason or intelligence behind what he did. That wasn't the guy that we got to know in the first two books.

There were some enjoyable parts, don't get me wrong. But the overall story arc just wasn't there, nor were there any explanations for the puzzles we'd been handed from book one about the aliens and the lines. So don't pick this one up if you're expecting closure.
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Beth B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Confluence both satisfies as a wrap-up to the Linesman trilogy and left me wanting to see more
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2016
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Don't start this book unless you're ready to read it to the finish! I made the mistake of starting in the evening, read until the early hours of the morning, and then it was all I could think about the next day at work. The characters you love (and even some you don't love, like Rossi) are back for this conclusion of the trilogy, which not only satisfies but leaves you wanting to see more. It was fast-paced, with both the politicking of the first books with a few fights. The story is told from Ean and Radko's viewpoints and I was thrilled to not only have more of her, but to learn about the background that was only hinted at before. Not every question raised by the series is answered, but I'm okay with that. For one, I don't want super scientific details weighing down a great story. And two, if this gives the authors a chance to return to this world and tell new tales, I'm excited for that day!

I would highly recommend this series (starting with Linesman) for lovers of space opera, sentient ships, intriguing new technologies, and a nice blend of action and political intrigue.
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MLJR
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't read this one without reading the other two first!
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2016
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The third book in what I hope is a series and not a trilogy, Dunstall keeps the tension high. As Princess Michelle and Abram struggle to calm allies' fears about Lancia's power in the New Alliance, Emperor Yu decides to stir the pot. He makes several startling pronouncements that set the tone for the book--including one that sends Radko running off to join a covert op in order to stay out of his clutches. The POV alternates between Radko and Ean, who is still training linesmen and who is struggling to get the new alien ships crews (before they decide to pick their own...). Naturally, the threads of each POV start to come together in the final third of the book, until we get to the finale, which you need to read for yourself to believe!
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Richard Irwin
5.0 out of 5 stars Rousing finale to the Linesman series
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2018
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This was a very good conclusion to the Linesman trilogy. There is a great deal of political intrigue as Michelle's father, Emperor Yu, attempts to gain a more dominant position for Lancia within the New Alliance. He intends to bring the 10 Worlds of the Lesser Gods into the New Alliance by marrying off Michelle to their leader.

There is a good deal of political machinations, betrayals, treachery, and treasonous activity. Our hero Ean continues his training of new linesmen for the alien vessels and is met with a fair amount of resistance. His bodyguard Radko is on special assignment to track down some important documents within enemy territory.

Although this concludes the story, there is obviously a great deal of room for follow-on stories especially concerning the aliens who built the ships.
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable continuation of a very good series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2017
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I have just re-read the three books currently in this series. This author is now on my automatic buy list. Really enjoyable continuation of the current story arc. I am pleased to note some of the plot developments that happened in this book (I am a closet romantic, so these pleased me) and the obvious need for more books to finish the story off. I really enjoy visiting this universe and the books are still as enjoyable to me as the first time I read them.
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Harry D
5.0 out of 5 stars Linesman 3
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2018
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I've read all three of these books in quick succession and enjoyed them all. They are set in far away space with different species aboard ships or stations, but also on supporting planets that live in frictional political and sometimes combat relationships with each other. The "lines" element of spaceship and space station control is unusual but quickly accepted and interesting in the way it is exploited. Read them in order: Linesman, Alliance, Confluence.
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jfmdac
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant trilogy; I say that because you need to ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2017
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Brilliant trilogy; I say that because you need to have read volume 1 before tackling the others. Rather than an all-out action series( it is based on a war situation after all), it's very much about political intrigues as well as learning to control alien technolgy. I found it very absorbing, and would recommend all 3 books. I also liked the physical size of the paperbacks, nice and compct.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2016
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Excellent. I hope this series continues as it still has a lot of scope. Thoroughly enjoyable read with an interesting premise which is continuously developing. I look forward to knowing more about linesmen and how their talents developer along with the main character 's future.
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nlondonhousewife
5.0 out of 5 stars Great storyline, excellent world building
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2020
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Loved the trilogy. Good characters, especially decent female leads. Believable detailed world building
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