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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780441014187
ISBN number: 0441014186
Label: Ace
Manufacturer: Ace
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 304
Printing Date: June 27, 2006
Publishing house: Ace
Sale Popularity Level: 741
Studio: Ace
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Brief Book Summary:
The Alliance has been fighting the Syndic for a century-and losing badly. Now its fleet is crippled and stranded in enemy territory. Their only hope is Captain John 'Black Jack' Geary-a man who's emerged from a century-long hibernation to find he has been heroically idealized beyond belief. Now, he must live up to his own legend.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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Fighting a battle in space at enormous distances creates unique problems. I like the way our hero handles the information delays caused by the speed of light. (What about time differences while traviling through sub-space?) Will he and the co-president learn to peacefully co-exist while mysterious aliens linger in the background? Should we buy the subsequent installment to find out? I guess so.
Rated by buyers 
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This series follows in the best tradition of C.S. Forester and his "The Good Shepherd" novel. Yes, you don't have mindless action throughout the novel but you do get in the mind of a commander and see the reasoning behind the actions and decisions. This is what makes a great novel from standard fluff.
Rated by buyers -
This book is an excellent read. From start to finish the author takes you on an adventure of a lifetime. It starts with unforgettable action and by the second and third chapters, you feel like you're on the command deck sitting right there with 'Black Jack' Geary. This book is also more than just another military sci-fi adventure, it also takes a slight, yet engaging look at what war can do to our society's beliefs, honor, and ideals. Once you pick this up, you won't wanna put it down!
Rated by buyers 
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I really liked what this book could be...but the concepts that make this universe interesting are never realized.
The author sets the scene of two human empires battling an epic century long war but fails to give us the basics. What does the main character look like? What do the characters that he interacts with look like?
The ships, combat and some technology are the focus of this book and it's sequels but the author does not even flesh out these...he never tells us how many ships exist within this fleet nor does he describe what the ships of the Alliance fleet look like...or even what the Syndic ships look like. Instead descriptions are relegated to 'The S-class Battleship fired the helllance'...without ever telling the reader what either is or what it looks like or even does...
I'm not sure why Mr. Campbell chose to do so...perhaps he doesn't want to limit his fleet in numbers in order to avoid running out of ships in the fleet as he kills them off....what it does mean though is that the reader gets the impression that the protagonist is cruising around the galaxy with an unlimited number of ships and thereby the loss of any single vessel (for some reason a major problem to the main character) is not a major problem.
Rated by buyers -
John Geary is rescued from suspended animation in a survival pod one hundred years after using his crippled ship to hold off the enemy only to discover the war is still going on. The fleet that rescued him is deep inside enemy space carrying a secret hyperspace key that, if they can just get it home, will force the enemy to negotiate.
But the Alliance ships are in trouble. Admiral Bloch goes out to parley with the enemy but before he goes, he places Captain Geary in courtesy command of the fleet. Then Bloch and all the officers with him are treacherously slaughtered by the enemy. Suddenly the legendary hero "Black Jack" Geary must shake off his depression and save the fleet.
Fans of David Weber's Honor Harrington series will enjoy this series also. Jack Campbell has created a compelling character and launched his story with explosive force. His hero hates the legend of "Black Jack" Geary but uses it when he has to overawe a subordinate or terrify the enemy. He's a decent man, standing out against atrocities that a long war has made a matter of custom. And he's a commander who discovers that an old dog might have tricks to teach the young puppies on how to fight, survive and win their way home.
One notable aspect of Campbell's writing is his realistic handling of the distortion effects of approaching light speed. I like his battle scenes better than Weber's. Also, the action is relatively unencumbered by politics, although Geary is forced to contend with an ally who keeps threatening to withdraw her planet's ships. While I like the pacing and flow of Campbell's story, I also like Weber's complexity. This book comes to a satisfying conclusion and can be read and enjoyed alone. However, it is part of a long series to which I can only say: FABULOUS. I look forward to reading it all.
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