The Lost Stars: Perilous Shield (review)

                                           


The Lost Stars:  Perilous Shield by Jack Campbell continues the saga that describes the events in the Midway Star System as they continue to unfold after the stunning defeat of the Syndicate by the Alliance.  The former Syndicate CEOs who have assumed new leadership roles, President Gwen Iceni and General Artur Drakon, are faced with the conundrum of how to defend the System against two potentially overwhelming foes...the inimical alien Enigma race and CEO Boyens who has a Syndicate flotilla that could potentially help defend Midway but at an unacceptable cost.  Iceni and Drakon still have to work out their own relationship as well as mediate between their respective assistants and find a way to protect the fledgling way of life they are trying to promote even as they wonder about the cost of having allied themselves with the remarkable Admiral Geary, affectionately called Black Jack. 




This science fiction story continues the entertaining series that is a spin-off of ‘The Lost Fleet’ series.  Unfortunately, the story starts a little ponderously as some of the backstory is conveyed, partly because there are so many complex relationships that have to be addressed.  The antipathy between General Drakon’s aides is particularly highlighted and the swirling undercurrents of potential betrayal and backstabbing ratchet up the tension already at high levels due to the dual threats from the aliens known as Enigmas and the Syndicate representative and hidden agents.  Assassination attempts, unexpected arrivals, nascent relationships with their attendant fragility and a sorely tested love affair all combine to provide an intriguing story that only briefly features the infamous Black Jack but provides an unexpected development that will definitely alter the power structure and future interactions among many of the major players in Midway.  I look forward to learning more about certain key players as we continue to watch events unfold in this key star system.  Although one could read this story as a stand-alone, I think that it will be much better appreciated if the first book in this series is read and even better if one reads the stories detailed in the ‘Lost Fleet’ series since much of the action parallels events taking place.

© Night Owl Reviews
I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.

The Lost Stars: Perilous Shield (Amazon link)




The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight  (Amazon link)


My review for The Lost Stars:  Tarnished Knight is at this link

Invincible

Invincible  
by Jack Campbell (John G. Henry) is one of the entertaining space opera tales that is part of his sequel series to the popular Lost Fleet stories, 'The Lost Fleet:  Beyond the Frontier'.  The premise is the resurrection of a man (John Geary aka Black Jack) who has been in stasis for a century while war has raged for so long that nobody knows how to live in a time of peace.  The second series starts after Black Jack has accomplished the impossible just as he has been given another virtually impossible task.  The Fleet which has learned perform miracles is asked for yet another one as they are sent to determine information about an inimical alien race. The combination of new worlds and races cause the so-called experts to reevaluate all that that is considered to be standard for first contact.  The question is whether the humans will be able to adapt to the new concepts they are being inundated with.  This is one of those tales for those who enjoy adventures in space with a nice dash of the study of human nature and an exploration of the challenges that will face anyone who interacts with entirely alien cultures. I particularly enjoyed the repartee that resulted in the formation of all of the different acronyms (some a bit more irreverent than others) that seem to appear spontaneously anytime long cumbersome descriptions become to onerous.


My Amazon review is at this link under ELF2060.  As always, a 'yes, this was helpful' vote is appreciated.

A copy of this title was provided in exchange for an honest review.