The Midway Star System has been liberated but the
Syndicate Worlds will not let it go without a major
fight. President Gwen Iceni and General Arthur Drakon are
trying their hardest to keep the system safe but they are
hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. When the Ulindi
Star System comes under attack, the battle is on. THE
LOST STARS: IMPERFECT SWORD twists and turns on its path
to the final battle.
This reminds me of Star Trek without the
diplomacy and with a lot more talking than action.
Political subterfuge, whether fictional or not, does not
exactly float my boat. I am not sure who I am supposed to
root for and I am not sure what is going on for either
side of the equation. The ideal fiction sequel gives
enough background information that even a newcomer can
understand the situations in the book. Even a cast of
characters would be helpful. THE LOST STARS: IMPERFECT
SWORD has no such resources, and as a result I was
unfortunately completely lost. What is a CEO? What is a
snake? Who knows? I can guess, but this guesswork takes
too much mental power away from the book.
The characters are very one-dimensional. I have
some trouble telling one from another; I can't even tell
which ones are women, men, or what-have-you. I like
Colonel Morgan as a character; she has wit and bite and
is very clever. However, I don't trust her as a person
and so I feel I'm rooting for a bad guy or a mole.
Overall, so many interpersonal character conflicts feel
unresolved by the end of the book that I feel a great
emptiness in the heart.
As for the action, it is not as well-written as
it could be. Since there are battlefields in space and
battle cruisers, there should be some definition to the
commands. The military structure is airtight, but the
battles and strategies could have used a little more
work. This goes also to the quality of the prose; it was
certainly lacking in most areas, as the novel was so
dialogue-heavy.
THE LOST STARS: IMPERFECT SWORD is an action
science fiction novel which is more full of talk rather
than of
action. Fans of The Lost Stars series will certainly find
this a worthy read. For everyone else, approach with
caution, optimism, an open mind, and a whole lot of time
to look up definitions.
The wait is over. New York Times bestselling author Jack Campbell continues his action-packed spin-off to The Lost Fleet series as the Syndicate’s civil war threatens to spread even farther into the final frontier…
President Gwen Iceni and General Artur Drakon have successfully liberated the Midway Star System—but the former rulers of the Syndicate Worlds won’t surrender the region without a fight. The dictatorial regime has ordered the ex–Syndicate CEOs terminated with extreme prejudice and the system’s citizens punished for their defiance.
Outnumbered and led by junior officers hastily promoted in the wake of the uprising, Midway’s warships are no match for the fleet massing and preparing to strike. But the Syndicate isn’t the only threat facing Iceni and Drakon. Another former CEO has taken control of the Ulindi Star System, the first calculated move toward establishing his own little empire.
With Drakon’s ground forces dispatched to Ulindi, Midway erupts in violence as Syndicate agents and other, unknown enemies stoke a renewed revolt against Iceni’s power—leaving both her and Drakon vulnerable to trusted officers just waiting for an opportune moment to betray them…
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy