Wings of Honor

The Forgotten Fleet, Book 1

By: Craig Andrews

Narrated by: Shamaan Casey

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Humanity is on the brink.

Piloting drone fighters from inside the fleet's most durable ships, drone pilots wage space battles thousands of kilometers away. Their success is unparalleled, and for years, they have held the invading Baranyk at bay. But when the alien enemy develops a new weapon that renders the fleet's drone fighters inoperable, humanity is on the verge of destruction.

Callan "Coda" O'Neil joined the Terran Fleet Academy with dreams of becoming a prestigious drone pilot and restoring honor to his disgraced family. Fleet Command, however, has other ideas.

To counter the alien weapon, Commander Chadwick Coleman, a legendary pilot from the early days of the Baranyk War, is assembling an experimental new squadron that will place real pilots in the cockpit of real starfighters. And he wants Coda to be part of it.

With the enemy pressing in, and forced to train under impossible conditions, Coda and his fellow wingmen must learn to fly as one. Failure means the destruction of the human race.
And time is running out.

If you're a fan of Ender's Game, Old Man's War, and Starship Troopers, then Wings of Honor is for you. Strap in and start listening today!

©2021 Craig Andrew Looney (P)2024 Craig Andrew Looney

War often changes things...

Craig Andrews premiers his science fiction action space adventure “Wings of Honor” which is the first audiobook in “The Forgotten Fleet” series. I was rather excited to see that this initial title was narrated by Shamaan Casey, whose voice I have come to enjoy very much during my audiobook listening sessions. I could not think of a better fit for his voice. During the opening, this story reminded me of watching the original Battlestar Galactica series TV show, which is not a bad thing at all. There are large battle cruisers along with squadrons of smaller fighters providing protection to both it self and others. This tale is more a coming-of-age story which takes place in the deep reaches of a very unforgiving portion of space. There are hostile aliens and a continuous battle where you are always trying to limit the skirmishes and wounded. The non-aliens have created the ability to battle mainly using drones and are always able to keep the upper hand. This all changes when we see that the aliens have some new technology giving them the upper hand and making their opponents drone ships sitting ducks. Here we begin to see the tide of war shift. Now those who were previously the victors see that they are now on the run to survive. It is at this point the story gets interesting as a team of younger pilots needs to train in older ships (not drones) and find a way to surprise and defeat the enemy. This all make for an enjoyable listen, and I liked the story’s progression. If you also like coming-of-age space tales, I can recommend this one even though it is the author’s premiere work on Audible.

We learn rater quickly that this group of younger and inexperienced pilots will need to work as a team to complete their mission. However, we also begin to see cracks in this team due to personal agendas and direction. There are some that hold such strong convections that they do not care if the team succeeds or not. They will selfishly desire their own outcomes over others, no matter the cost. We see these young pilots grow and mature over time and even some begin to learn the life lesson that the world does not revolve around them and their desires. Instead, there is a greater goal which is needed to succeed and survive. To add in some dynamics and complexity, our main character carries with him a disadvantage of his father being a known wingman who abandoned his squadron, and lives were lost. Other characters also knew this and held grudges against him for these actions. Like with many coming-of-age stories, there is one person that comes alongside these cadets and is given the undeniable task of getting them ready for battle in actual fighters and the probability of success it near zero.

What I enjoyed was the scale of this story along with the characters having their own purposes and drive. We have someone that wants to right a suspected wrong against his father and family, another that is driven by competition, and others that have other goals. Yet, it is clear they will need to all come together and put their personal agendas aside in order to complete this nearly impossible task. I also found the use of older tech to overcome some of the limitation of the more high-tech drones a bit of a twist along the way. In some ways the story was a mix of Battlestar Galactica meets Top Gun if both had occurred in space. There is that cocky nature of the individuals, yet as a team they work much better as a single unit. Being able to humble oneself and learn from others with more experience is never an easy pill to swallow, yet in this story it is necessary. The author also wove in some humor as well as tragedy. This has an impact as one begins to like the many characters and when things go wrong, there is an emotional impact. Everyone quickly learns the lesson that during war, one’s perspectives are very different than in peace time. And, because of this, all those I the squad quickly mature and focuses on the main goal. If you were to ask me who my favorite character was, I think most would agree that Tex is the best.

Regarding the audiobook’s narration, I have enjoyed anything I have listed to by Shamaan Casey. His voice can become one that commands attention but also has both a smooth and soothing tone. It is a rare talent that only few narrators I have listened to have. The audio quality was top notch, and the character voicing was precise and consistent. If you are not a fan of space fiction, I would suggest nearly anything else he has narrated in a genre you prefer.

For parents and younger listeners, there are some sections containing slight sexual banter between some of the key characters, but I can say that this is not used frequently. There was also a time where the team partakes of alcohol, but other than these, I can say that there was little content that would be rated for mature audiences. I think the story could be enjoyed by all, as long as you are aware of these small situations.

In summary, this was a rather enjoyable action adventure taking place in the deep and unforgiving area of space. We can easily see the growth and maturity of these individuals, even if they have their own agendas. The narration was up there with some of the best I have listened to. I look forward to seeing where the story goes in future releases. Keep up the great work you two.

Top Gun in Space!

The plot was pretty easy and convenient, starting with Coda and his rival Moscow getting into yet another fight prior to their graduation from Fleet Academy. Coda’s dad was responsible for a dereliction of duty that killed a lot of people, and while this remains a mystery throughout the book, we learn that Moscow (the #2 pilot) is great at antagonizing the situation. Fists fly, but instead of failing out, an opportunity for top secret pilot training comes out of the blue at the last second.

Anyway, what we get is Coda and Moscow having to learn to tolerate each other to make top secret pilot training successful. There’s a lot of training in both simulation and in real ships while the new squadron gets a crash course in real piloting to beat a new weapon that has made the usual drones obsolete in the war effort. The good part is that Coda isn’t naturally spectacular, so I would call him “talented but needs training”. He has to put in extra work for his acceptance into the program and generally just do better – an enjoyable twist.

While we don’t actually get any information about what the aliens (the Baranyk) want or why we are even at war (a bummer for me), Andrews focuses on building Coda’s crew with hilarious characters like Squawks, Tex, Captain Coleman, Noodles, and a bunch of others that I enjoyed meeting.

Even with a predictable plot, there’s plenty of action and banter and character relationships to keep things moving. I liked Coda which helped a lot, since he was actually trying to improve and be the bigger person instead of being the insufferable version of the same trope. Even Moscow grew on me.

The tension and level of danger stays high throughout which I liked too. Andrews isn’t afraid to kill off a few side characters to keep things realistic although I’m pretty sure this is a YA book. The content is so low which can help enjoyment when one needs an easier read. It’s got a lot of good themes for teens like understanding your rivals, working together, being a good friend, and getting away from your parent’s shadow.

This is getting long so let’s talk about the audiobook:
It’s very rare that a narrator can equally keep me very engaged and put me to sleep, depending on the situation. Casey has a beautiful deep voice for the Commander and for Moscow, then pulls a ton of different tones and accents across a wide range of pilots and radio chatter for everyone else. They all sounded great. His voice is also soothing enough that when I’m trying to crash after work and want to listen for a half hour, I’m ready to drop off by the end. I gave the story 3 stars, but Casey gets a solid 5⭐ for the performance and definitely smoothed over any real issues I would have had! I’ll be checking out his backlist for sure

Overall
Despite my gripes, I enjoyed this one a lot and had already gotten the kindle ebook for the second book, Wings of Mourning, when I was offered a code for the audible! The name is ominous and I liked the characters enough to need to know what happens next!

Giving Me Top Gun Vibes (And I’m For It)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Discovering Wings of Honor, the first book in The Forgotten Fleet series was akin to unearthing a hidden treasure in the vast expanse of audiobooks. Initially, I admit I struggled with the slow pace, yearning for a more rapid narrative. However, as the story progressed, I realized the deliberate pacing was a masterstroke by Craig Andrews. It allowed me to immerse myself in the universe he created, gradually unveiling its complexities and nuances. Much like the proverbial frog in slowly boiling water, I found myself acclimating to the pace, only to be pleasantly surprised by its acceleration.

Andrews’ narrative is not merely a space opera but a profound exploration of character and self-discovery. The protagonist, Coda, embarks on a poignant journey of growth and introspection, grappling with his identity, past, and legacy. Through Andrews’ deft storytelling, Coda’s evolution feels organic and authentic, resonating with anyone who is navigating their own path of self-realization.

One of the standout aspects of Wings of Honor is its ability to deliver a satisfying narrative arc within the confines of a larger series. While the story concludes at a natural stopping point, it leaves enough narrative threads dangling to pique curiosity and anticipation for future installments. This balance is a testament to Andrews’ skill as a storyteller, offering a complete and fulfilling experience while laying the groundwork for what promises to be an epic saga.

Shamaan Casey’s narration is the crowning jewel of this audiobook, elevating an already engaging story to new heights. His delivery is pitch-perfect, perfectly capturing the essence of each character and scene. Casey’s performance is particularly noteworthy in bringing to life the ‘Top Gun in Space’ vibe of the narrative, infusing it with the energy and excitement befitting such an adventurous tale.

Overall, Wings of Honor is a captivating audiobook that deftly blends science fiction spectacle with profound introspection. Andrews’ storytelling coupled with Casey’s narration creates an immersive experience that will leave listeners eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this thrilling saga.