valiant (the lost fleet, book 4 of 6)

Rating:
Date: 2008-07-06
Special edition... Anyone else ???
I have read these books as they came out one by one. While I really enjoyed the 1st and eagerly looked forward to the 2nd and then 3rd, I've noticed a decline in the pace of the story and am not as engaged in the story as I was early in the series. I echo some other comments made here, it feels as if this series is artificially drawn out into 6 books. Alternatively, 3 thicker and tighter books feel like the right thing to me in this place (so says I the experienced publisher, ahem).

So, this 4th was just ok for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm still hooked and want to know how the series ends up, but I'm not on edge awaiting the next book right now.

On the note of a "special edition". I've yet to read the end of the 4th book, my book ends on page 256 and then goes into page 199 of a book called "Valentine's Exile". I'll have to write the book publisher when I get around to it and describe what happened and ask for a replacement... BUT, that more than anything sums up this latest book for me. It was comfortable and fun to read, but I am missing the last 50 pages, don't even know the ending, and its not that big of a deal to me I pretty much think I know where the story is going... kind of like a TV series, its gonna wrap up and say 'tune in next week'.

I know the author has it in him to do better, his first books very much show that.

Rating:
Date: 2008-07-06
Great SciFi Space Battles!
Just finished the 4 book in the series. It's better than the 3rd because a bit more than just space battles happen in this one. Anybody who enjoys military science fiction, particularly big ship battles, will like this series. My only concern is I don't know how the author will wrap up some of the plot points regarding the aliens unless a 2nd series is planned. I understand this series is to go 7 novels. Given the pacing so far, to fully resolve the alien situation by then may lead readers to feel the story in the last book or two is moving too fast compared to earlier books.

Rating:
Date: 2008-07-04
Frustrated and OMG! Space porn!
There are series of books that you look forward to, like the Prey series, the Dresden Flies,or the Plum series, because you care about the characters and the author doesn't disappoint his fans. That is how I have felt about the The Lost Fleet series, but not now. I have written some of my best reviews when comes to this series, but the last one and this one have begun to wear on me. The news is that the characters are still growing and interesting and... well that is all there is, character developement plus a guide on how to command and war dehumanizes man. Oh yeah, there is porn in space and it is deadly. Wow just what I need to be remind of. Look this book is almost 300 pages long. There is one terrific battle sequence at the first of the book and a short battle at the end. In between the two is Geary leaving one woman for another and finding out he can't have the new woman until the fleet gets back home, which means a lot of cold showers for both of them. Seriously there is a great deal of talk and talk and ...well talk. I have compared the first two of the series to Johm Wayne movies, the last one to a breather for the author, and now I am just frustrated over the lack of anything remotely looking like action or movement. Oh I will buy the next one and I will hope it will return to the style of the frist two books, but I am not sure.

P.S. I know this may sound petty, but I really hate the cover of this book. It has nothing to do with anything that happens in the story. The first two covers were very good and the last one of kind of strange looking, but this one, oh brother. That makes my point when I am paying more attention to the cover and not to the book there is something wrong and it is no me this time.

Rating:
Date: 2008-07-04
The Lost Fleet becomes the Lost Series
I have up till this book enjoyed all the others in the series very much but this one seems more like filler than a fourth. Pretty much all the themes carry over and are repeated over and over.

I agree with some other posts that making this series either 3 or at the most 4 books may have helped so we would not have so much of the same over and over. I am honestly no longer looking forward to the last two as I am not looking forward to another explination on how he doesnt want to be the hero.

Still for a fan of the series its a good book to pickup for a quiet afternoon as its a fast read due to its nature.

Rating:
Date: 2008-07-03
A good read
Another good read book.
People who expect too much will be disappointed (like some of the reviewers), but people who just want a good read will like it.

It has drama, good battles, plausible technology and decent characters.
Why would his enemies want to still get rid of him even though he keeps winning? I find that totally plausible and even likely, people are not logical and they can be jerks just for the sake of being a jerk and once they've decided that someone is the enemy, it might require them to admit they were wrong and far too many people can never do that.

I would not say that this is the best book in the series, but I awaited it eagerly and finished it in one sitting without being bored.

It's a good read and possibly trite and predictable (you know the good guys are going to win, but, well, duh. As if you thought that Sauron was going to get the Ring back too).

As for the aliens, I'm gonna have to disagree that they are setting up another series, there is something in this one that seems to explain why the aliens are doing what they are doing. There have been hints in other books (book 3 had a bunch) that make them look not necessarily like bad guys. But that's just my opinion.

I hope Campbell does more books, but I just don't see him setting up another series with a war against the aliens.

List Price: $21.00

List Price: $34.14
Lowest Price: $24.99

New Items Remaining: 1

List Price: $19.95
Lowest Price: $17.16

New Items Remaining: 3

List Price: $41.49
Lowest Price: $29.70

New Items Remaining: 4

List Price: $19.95
Lowest Price: $13.00

New Items Remaining: 12