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Relentless (The Lost Fleet #5)

by Jack Campbell

3.97 · rating details · 1,212 ratings · 66 reviews

After successfully freeing Alliance POWs, "Black Jack" Geary discovers that the Syndics plan to ambush the fleet with their powerful reserve flotilla in an attempt to annihilate it once and for all. And as Geary has the fleet jump from one star system to the next, hoping to avoid the inevitable confrontation, saboteurs contribute to the chaos.

Paperback, 336 pages

Published April 28th 2009 by Ace (first published January 1st 2009)

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Military Science Fiction

31st out of 125 books — 156 voters

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Feb 04, 2012

Melissa Proffitt rated it

Shelves: action-adventure, military-fiction, space-travel, science-fiction

It's book five of the series and the Alliance fleet is within spitting distance of home territory, if anyone in the fleet could spit several dozen light years away. This was the first time I really felt that the fleet was in dire straits in terms of resources; they're limping along on 35% fuel reserves, the auxiliaries are having trouble keeping up with the weapons needs, and at this point I began to wonder if Jack Geary was going to come into Alliance territory with a fleet at all. (view spoiler)...moreIt's book five of the series and the Alliance fleet is within spitting distance of home territory, if anyone in the fleet could spit several dozen light years away. This was the first time I really felt that the fleet was in dire straits in terms of resources; they're limping along on 35% fuel reserves, the auxiliaries are having trouble keeping up with the weapons needs, and at this point I began to wonder if Jack Geary was going to come into Alliance territory with a fleet at all. (view spoiler) Despite this shortage, the story's tension comes more from rooting out the remaining traitors within the fleet and dealing with further revelations about the unseen alien enemy. Overall I'm satisfied with this book, though I didn't care for it as much as the earlier volumes, because....

(view spoiler)

Rione is still one of my favorite characters, though I have the feeling I'm not supposed to like her. She's a good contrast to the officers and their concept of honor, because she sees things differently but still has her own honor, and the fact that most of the fleet doesn't believe she does makes me sympathetic to her. When it comes to the final battle in this book, she plays a crucial role that finally makes the officers realize that maybe a politician doesn't have to be a back-stabbing, conniving, two-faced liability to the cause; to paraphrase another famous captain, if Rione is going to stab you in the back she'll have the decency to do it to your face.

I am so impressed with the religiosity that pervades the series. This volume isn't any more or less an example of that, but this is as good a place as any to talk about it. The idea of an entire culture that is unashamed of its spirituality, a culture in which believing in an outside Power is not incompatible with being scientifically minded, is sort of refreshing. I'm also surprised that Campbell allows his characters not only to worship, but to receive guidance from their ancestors. I don't know how this would look to a non-religious person, but I thought it was clever and heartwarming.

The final book will be a different kind of battle, and I'm interested to see what happens next.(less)

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Aug 15, 2011

James rated it

... and the Lost Fleet is home.

The fifth, but not last installation brings the Fleet home with spectacular style. Easily keeping the Four Stars that the whole series has gotten from me, this tale manages to continue the story of it's predecessors with the same quality that started with Dauntless .

I can't think of much to say. It is was brilliant. The plot line was well written and executed, the characters were all well developed and bar a few awkwardly written roma...more

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Dec 11, 2009

D.w. rated it

Shelves: reviewed

By The Living Stars, which is an expression used in this series, the series still has little to recommend it at this stage? Why six books. It is clear that three would have covered it.

So many times the repetition of what has happened before reappears. Maybe once was forgiveable, but over and over. Then let us suspend our disbelief for the throwaway aliens... Book five and we haven't seen them, just some evidence and supposition that they exist and is one of a few reasons the enemy is...moreBy The Living Stars, which is an expression used in this series, the series still has little to recommend it at this stage? Why six books. It is clear that three would have covered it.

So many times the repetition of what has happened before reappears. Maybe once was forgiveable, but over and over. Then let us suspend our disbelief for the throwaway aliens... Book five and we haven't seen them, just some evidence and supposition that they exist and is one of a few reasons the enemy is as violent and distasteful as they are.

But what we see with out really finally saying it is that the war of terror exists because so long ago they killed our Great-Great-Uncle and they think so long ago we killed their Great-Aunt that no one can let bygones be bygones, even though each side of course will say the other did the killing the first.

No one but our hero, who thinks it, but won't say it where it will do the most good.

And our hero of course is the only one after 100 years of murderous war who can think of new tactics...

We got all that ages ago, certainly saving us as readers and purchasers several dollars and time, oh the time to slog through it.

Where we have problems is the Hero was more heroic before and less so now. His one dimensional side kicks are just that, one dimensional and the facade of background material trying to give them depth has come too late to take away any of that boring look at them. It is also trite and cliched, first our hero is sleeping with the only politician in the fleet, who happens to be a woman and now a thorny conscious in his side, and now that they have stopped sleeping together, he wants to sleep with the highest ranked lieutenant to the command structure who also is a good looking woman, with baggage that counts for nothing.

Where they should have reached home, reached the aliens, or been destroyed by book three, well we do have some arcs that get tied up. But in all this the people that he is fighting, oh they are getting the word that he shows mercy which for the last hundred years has been few and far between, but they do not believe it every time he shows up and so the bosses on the enemy side insist they fight to the death.

Fighting if you believe in your cause, give me liberty or give me death, is one thing, but fighting when you don't and you know that someone above you is ordering you to a useless death is making the Stockholm syndrome to taken for granted. I have more faith in people than that. I have more faith in the fear of death than that. I have more faith than anything that Jack Campbell with his hero who self doubts so much it is a wonder he won't just go kill himself. A 100 year temporal displacement, that many changes, dealing with no ties to the past should take a lot more pyschiatric help, all the time then this guy gets. So try and fail at suspending your disbelief.

What to do? Don't read this series if you haven't started. Only read this book if you are the person who has to know how something ends once you have started. Once finished with this series, it will never be read again.(less)

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Jun 17, 2009

Dani rated it

Shelves: june-reads

Target Audience: Breathing sapients over age 10
Warnings: Battle descriptions and allusions to sexual encounters

Plot: You really need to start with Dauntless and read the full series to understand all the layers of this book, but I'll try to sum up real quick.

Against all odds Jack "Black Jack" Geary has taken the beaten Alliance fleet and not only survived attacks from various outside groups but internal rebellion. In RELENTLESS the political struggle final...more

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Aug 20, 2011

Dirk Grobbelaar rated it

Shelves: books-i-own, science-fiction

It is probably true that this story could have been handled over fewer books, although I don't think that it was a bad idea to spread it over six books. For one thing, the length of each novel is extremely manageable, and for another, the pacing and readability of these books are such that you can fly through them. Also, there are six books. Six. And then the story is wrapped up. This is good news for fans of genre fiction where writers periodically keep adding "just another" book to t...more

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Jan 23, 2010

C. L. Roberts rated it

With Geary’s fleet running out of fuel and ammunition he must take his ragged fleet once more into the breach in order to make it home. On the way he must deal with conspirators that are willing to sabatoge his efforts by any means necessary. Also the threats of an unknown alien force grows stronger. Only his fleet knows of the immeniant threat the aliens represent, especially with the hyper gates, being used as weapons. Geary has a plan to stop the aliens from using the gates, but getting ...more

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Oct 06, 2011

Jack Wegason rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

I really, really enjoyed this book, the story developed a great deal, the characters were fleshed out some more, and the action was back to its best, interesting and exciting.

In my view, this book, number 5 in the series, is of the same quality and possibly even better than the first, which given it is number 5, is some achievement. The politics have increased, the intrigue is great, and the way the series is coming together is special, something I've found other series have failed t...more

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May 29, 2009

Nathan rated it

Shelves: reviewed-2009, sci-fi

Jack Campbell's "Lost Fleet" series of books never ceases to amaze me. From a distance, they're an above average military space opera with good (and relatively hard) limits on the science... or at least enough for you to suspend disbelief.

Getting closer, the characters continue to be well developed, the plot intracacies enjoyable without being overwhelming, and the pacing and action more than sufficient to keep the pages turning.

I am absolutely amazed, however,...more

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Aug 16, 2009

Jim rated it

This was a welcomed relief in the series. If you took a large portion of book 1, the interesting parts of book 4, and most of this one, you'd have a great first two books of a trilogy.

This book did more than just have battles (the others were mostly space opera). It expanded several things and completed what it ostensibly set out to do.

Although I'd hope that book six would complete the series, I have little doubt it'll really start the next logical phase of this series. S...more

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Jan 06, 2012

Fred Hughes rated it

Earth is at war with the Syndic. Who are human just like you and me but take an entirely different perspective on what is right and wrong. What’s right is anything that financially or politically benefits them. What’s wrong is everything else.

What started this war that has been going on for 100 years ? No one seems to remember but the important thing is to destroy the other guy. And that’s the premise for the entire series of 6 books, recently expanded to 7 although on a different st...more

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Mar 03, 2011

Unwisely rated it

Shelves: 2011, military-sf, kept-me-up-too-late

Another series that dropped off my radar for a while, I actually remembered it because Mike Shepherd name-dropped the author in Redoubtable.

Anyway, this is military SF that is super-focused on battles, but does a good job of paying attention to stuff like speed-of-light delays, giving a nice edge of reality to it. (Sorry, Mr. Shepherd, your molecule camera broke my credulity.) Also has way fewer egregious editing errors than the Longknife books, as in, I only noticed one.

...more

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Jun 25, 2009

Doug rated it

While reading the first book in this series I told my wife what it was about and she said that would surely get old and boring after a while. I didn't realize how prescient that comment would be until at one point I realized I had skipped an entire book in the series and hadn't even noticed.

The series is light, fun to read, but ultimately the plot just gets old. How many star systems can these guys fight their way through until you just can't tell one book in the series from anothe...more

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May 24, 2009

Shelli rated it

The beginning of this book started out as the first three - jump to a new system, battle in space, lose ships in battle, find/thwart acts of treason against the fleet. This was headed straight for a 2 or 3-star (probably not as low as 2 because I LOVE this series) because I was getting bored with the same-old stuff, but right about the point I was about to put it down for the day, the plot picked up... Prisoners were taken, new intelligence was discovered, and the alien sub-plot materialized f...more

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Mar 08, 2011

Robert Stadnik rated it

Ok, so this book was better than #4. Some of the plot lines were resolved, and the author did a great job in resolving them. I won't spoil it by saying what was resolved, but it was enjoyable reading. On the other token, I really struggled with the space battles, again the militaristic descriptions aren't my favorite, and in this novel I really struggled getting through the battles. But that single issue certainly doesn't prevent me from giving this novel five stars: the characters are well deve...more

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May 18, 2009

Mark rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 05, 2011

Derrick rated it

Shelves: 2009, military, scifi

(view spoiler)

A good cut off point for the series, but maybe he'll do one more in this series? Just checked the bibliography on his website, John G Hemry and ...more

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Nov 10, 2011

Josh rated it

The tension continues to rise as we near the end of the Lost Fleet's journey back to Alliance space, and so does the writing quality and story complexity. This book hits the high point so far, and it seems Campbell has really found his groove. The intelligence behind the strategies and tactics involved was well done, and I couldn't find any holes.
It also has a very satisfying ending and sets up the concluding volume quite well. If you've invested in this series to this point, you s...more

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Jul 23, 2011

Timothy rated it

While being Book 5 (of 6) of The Lost Fleet series, you could almost technically consider this the conclusion based on the series name, if you actually consider the events at the end.
Anyway, this has been a very enjoyable book to read. What's so pleasing, is the fact that throughout this series, there has been a noticeable trend in the improvement of the quality of writing, especially in the last two (Valiant and Relentless). Whereas in the beginning, most of the characters lacked any dep...moreWhile being Book 5 (of 6) of The Lost Fleet series, you could almost technically consider this the conclusion based on the series name, if you actually consider the events at the end.
Anyway, this has been a very enjoyable book to read. What's so pleasing, is the fact that throughout this series, there has been a noticeable trend in the improvement of the quality of writing, especially in the last two (Valiant and Relentless). Whereas in the beginning, most of the characters lacked any depth and felt more like character stereotypes. By the time of Relentless, the characters have been better fleshed out while personal events are more grounded in personal history, instead of happening out of the blue due deux ex machina. For example, lo and behold, we're finally given the name of Geary's original ship (FYI, it's called the Merlon), which was conspicuously absent, always being called 'my old ship' or 'your old ship', etc.

My only complaint would is that this all would have been better if this was all presented from the very beginning. In someways all these improvements does feel like it was something the author never really considered, when started this series. So, to make up for it, he is really making up for lost time by laying things a bit too think. i.e. Characters suddenly calling each other by first name, even though technically they have been old friend, or in the case of the Merlon, mention it so often that it feels like it's being mentioned every other page).

Another thing I would like to mention, though this is in more of a preference than a complaint, is the nature of the action being portrayed in this series. It's too much on the macro level. We hear coordinates and orders constantly being issued by Geary, but we never get a sense of the micro level of action, (i.e 'troops in the ground'). From this god's eye view level, it gives the main characters a disassociation from the action they're supposedly in the midst of. We've yet to be given a glimpse of the action from a different perspective, being always focused on Geary. Though to be honest, I believe this is not really a failing as more of a preference by the author to write a story with Geary as the focus. He's not trying to be like David Weber, where the action itself is more of the central even, with multiple character perspectives to give it traction (and sometimes Weber seems too focused in the micro of the story).

The bottom line is, I would say that I'm pretty satisfied in the direction this series has been heading since the beginning, and as long as each successive book continues this trend, then I have no real complaints.(less)

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May 13, 2009

Roberta rated it

Shelves: sciencefiction

The fleet is closing in on Alliance space, but they have to make it through a couple of space battles and more sabotage. I understand there is one more book in the series. Each novel has a beginning and an end, but it is clear that the story is an arc that starts with Geary leading the fleet on its journey home to eventually heading out and then ending with what will they do once he gets them home?

The book was wonderful as usual. Good solid space opera, good action, good charact...more

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Dec 31, 2011

David rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

This is the penultimate book in Jack Campbell (pen-name of Jon Geary) 'Lost Fleet' series, with the Alliance fleet nearing their home border with the Syndics. The very start of this novel is actually set 100 years previous, before 'Black Jack' Geary is rescued from survival sleep before the very start of the first book in the series: "Dauntless".

If you've read the others in the series, you prety much know what to expect: 'real-time' space battles, political machinations, and...more

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Apr 04, 2011

Jamie rated it

Shelves: fiction, military, first-contact, sci-fi, space

This installation of "The Lost Fleet" series seems to have picked up what was in the first two books that made me want to finish the series. It kept the action tight and suspenseful without too much of the "female interference" that plagued the prior two books. The plot definitely comes to a head on several fronts in this book. The only question(s) I have are: will this make the last book anticlimactic? Was too much resolved in this book that the finale won't be able to t...more

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Jul 31, 2009

Skip rated it

This series has been a great read and helped me through many a flight. I read the Kindle version with no noticable loss. The book has a great ending and ditched most of the "if you didn't read the first 4 books" stuff. You know a story has you when you pin real hopes onto fictional chars - it was that good. You may have to read on a jet plane to get the same experience. Black Jack Geary & Jack Crow should meet in a bar sonewhere...

Looking foward to more!

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Jul 14, 2009

Shelli rated it

Perhaps I should have started the series in order. I found this book easy and difficult to read at the same time. I wanted to finish it, but the story line was about the author's fantasy of himself. He wants everyone to think he is some kind of God to worship and he is unbelievably wonderful yet painfully modest. Except he wrote lots of books about his alter ego and called the hero Jack. Not very subtle. Relentless must be well written because I wanted to finish it, yet I found it predicta...more

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Jun 15, 2009

Mike rated it

Shelves: military-sci-fi

After having read all five of these books I kept waiting for something significant to happen or develop. First two books were good but Campbell now just keeps rehashing the same plot, space battles, in the last three books. The three main characters just sleep walk through this latest book. Come on already. Don't believe I'll read number six in the series. I can just randomly read one of the last three books again. The "Lost Fleet" is truly that. Sheesh.

· see review

Jul 03, 2009

Brian rated it

Shelves: sf

Solid Jack Campbell, though the formula is getting a bit predictable by the 5th installment. *SPOILER* Includes some intrigue, but he doesn't throw any real curveballs at you - the bad guys are pretty much who you'd expect they are. Will get the 6th to see how he finishes out the series (there's at least one big question hanging over the reader that it'll be interesting to see get resolved), but this one was a bit of a letdown.

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Jul 05, 2009

David rated it

Most of the major plots are resolved in this book, except for one. The aliens. That plot is barely advanced at all. I suspect it will take at least 2 more books for that to be even partially resolved. I would be happier waiting for that if the fight scenes were better, but the syndicits are horrible fighters and dumb to boot, while every trick the alliance pulls works. I guess I'm jsut reading this series because it is easy to read and I like reading about the tricks.

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Aug 03, 2011

Jesse added it

Jack Campbell provides another interesting, well-plotted and convincing book in The Lost Fleet series. Fans will be well-rewarded with more of Campbell's signature starship combat, character interactions and interesting and sticky military leadership issues. Recommended for fans of the series, not a good starting point for a newcomer.

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Oct 17, 2011

Jason rated it

I just love it when a plan comes together. Even more so when a back stabbing evil so and so gets their head handed to them. Black Jack does what he set out to do and gets his people home against all odds. The stage is set for more high stakes action and political Kung-Fu action!

· see review

Jul 16, 2011

Dustin Puryear rated it

· review of another edition

I really enjoy this series. It's sci-fi and reads quickly, even though Campbell takes pains to setup the scenes well, particularly in terms of describing the naval maneuvers. I'm doing the series via audiobooks, and it really makes my drives short.

· see review

Apr 18, 2011

Jeff Yoak rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audio-collection, read-in-2011

John Geary finally gets the fleet back home. This series has completely won me over and I'm enjoying it completely. Even without knowing there is a sixth novel, this novel has that delicious combination of an end of a struggle and a knowledge that an even greater struggle is to follow.

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About Jack Campbell

Jack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War a...more

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Quotes from Relentless

“You can’t win unless you try to win, but you can lose by trying not to lose.” — 3 people liked it

“He felt the comfort of being part of an eternal cycle symbolized by the gold strips on either side of the black mourning band he wore. Light, dark, light. The dark was just an interval.” — 1 person liked it

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Relentless (The Lost Fleet #5)

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